Siliguri, 26th August: Darjeeling District CPI (M) launched their ‘Nagar Nigam Abhiyan’ making several allegations against the present board of Siliguri Municipal Corporation. Tension arose during the said campaign of CPI (M).
Led by former Siliguri Mayor Ashok Bhattacharya and District Left Front Convenor Jibesh Sarkar, the rally started from the Airview More and reached SMC marching through different areas of the city. However, they were stopped by the police with barricades. A scuffle broke out between the party workers and the police. The protesters entered inside the SMC premises by breaking the police barricade and a part of the main gate of the office. After this they staged a long sit-in protest in front of the Municipal Corporation.
Later, with the intervention of top leaders, the situation was stabilized and brought under control. District Left Front convener Jibesh Sarkar alleged Trinamool Congress of making several promises before the elections. But after the formation of the board, no work has been done on the municipal corporation. He further accused TMC of talking about development while people in the city are deprived of basic facilities like drinking water problems. Sarkar further added that the rally reached the office of the SMC to highlight the problems of the common people, but as the gate of the office was closed thus, they were compelled to break and enter.
At the same time, taking a jibe at the Left’s demonstration, Mayor Goutam Deb said that there are many arrears of the Left Front tenure which are being filled by the present board. None of the employees who were appointed during the Left Front tenure have been laid off. He further stated that all the employees are being paid. The mayor claimed that work is being done one after the other.