Noisy scenes in Bengal assembly over zilla parishad issue

The state Assembly on Tuesday witnessed noisy scenes over the taking over of the financial powers of three zilla parishads by the state government, with the Opposition Left Front demonstrating inside the well before staging a walkout.

Soon after the Question Hour, Speaker Biman Bandopadhyay told the House that he had received an adjournment motion from the Left members on the issue, but said it did not merit an adjournment and it can be raised during Mention or Calling Attention.

He, however, allowed an amended motion to be read.

Leader of the Opposition Surjya Kanta Mishra raised a point of order, saying although the Assembly was in session, the government was taking various decisions keeping the members in the dark.

While turning down the point of order, the Speaker asked Panchayat and Rural Development Minister Subrata Mukherjee to make a statement in the House.

Not satisfied, the Left members trooped into the well and surrounded the Speaker’s podium, shouting slogans.

Counter-slogans were also given from the ruling party members even as government chief whip Sovandeb Chattopadhyay was seen asking them to restrain themselves.

Chattopadhyay and some senior members of the ruling party were seen discussing with Mishra and other Left leaders.

The Left members later walked out of the House. Talking to newsmen outside the House, Mishra said the government order in taking over the financial control of the Murshidabad, Nadia and North 24 Parganas zilla parishads was “illegal, unconstitutional and violative” of the provisions of the West Bengal Panchayat Act, 1973.

“We have written to the chief minister, the Governor and the Prime Minister, saying the (state government) was trying to dismantle the democratic institutions, be it panchayats or cooperatives,” Mishra said.

The present government was not allowing 1,000 gram panchayats in the state to function, he claimed.

Mishra said although the Assembly was in session, ministers had given statements outside the House regarding the recent fire incidents at the SSKM Hospital and a district hospital.

“The members were also kept in the dark about the Chief Minister's meeting with the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha leaders three days ago,” he claimed.

However, Panchayat and Rural Development Minister Subrata Mukherjee said the Murshidabad, Nadia and North 24 Paraganas zilla parishads have not been dissolved and the district magistrates have been given the power to decisions on financial matters.

Mukherjee said the decision had been taken as the boards in these three zilla parishads were reduced to a minority and were unable to pass the budget, thereby stalling development work.

He said that amendments made during the Left regime to the West Bengal Panchyat Act, 1973 gave special powers to the state government to issue general or special direction for implementation of the Act.

While clauses 214 and 215 of the Act gave the power to the government to dissolve the non-functioning zilla parishads, the government has not taken that step, he said.