Mamata wants comparative analysis of Bengal’s rural bodies

KOLKATA - Terming the rural bodies run by her party as the best in West Bengal, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee Sunday asked Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee to make a comparative analysis of such bodies.

She also assured that after coming to power, the Trinamool will provide better governance and development even at the grassroots level.

“I can challenge the chief minister. The two rural bodies ruled by Trinamool, including one in South 24 Parganas, are the best in the state. If one evaluates the work done in just two years, this will be proved,” Banerjee said in Kakdwip of South 24 Parganas district.

She was speaking at a programme organised by the South 24 Parganas rural body to provide compensation to the victims of a boat capsize in the Muriganga river Oct 30.

She handed Rs.2 lakh each to the family members of the victims and requested her party leader and Kolkata Municipal Corporation Mayor Shovon Chatterjee to grant Rs.25,000 each to the local youth who rescued some victims.

The Trinamool chief highlighted that the lack of a proper transport system, especially water transportation, in Bengal resulted in such incidents, leading to loss of lives.

She also lambasted the chief minister for giving out false promises before the state assembly elections.

“Now, the chief minister is promising money for the victims. In earlier instances, none of the victims of natural calamities or accidents got any compensation or relief. It is because the elections are coming that he is showing off,” she said.

She pledged to continue her agitation against forcible land acquisition.

“We are going to stand by the farmers who have lost their land. The fertile lands of the farmers have been forcibly taken away by the ruling Marxists. Such people provide us inspiration to fight against them,” Banerjee said.