CPI(M) questions Mamata's appointment of intellectuals

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) today questioned Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee’s decision to appoint prominent intellectuals, considered close to her, at ‘high salaries’ in Railway's Heritage and Cultural Committee.

In a bid to create fissures between the Congress and its alliance partner, the CPI(M) has questioned the merit of these appointments by the railway ministry when the UPA government has announced the austerity drive.

Party MP Prashanta Chatterjee raised this issue in the zero hour in the Rajya Sabha today.

Banerjee had constituted a Railway Heritage Cultural Committee and appointed a lot of intellectuals and artists from her state in it. The committee is headed by theatre personality Shaoli Mitra and all these members have been agitating against the Left Front government of West Bengal over various issues.

“Shaoli Mitra draws a salary of Rs 50,000 per month. Others also draw hefty salaries. They take fee of Rs 560 for every meeting. There are other perks as well. Our question is, when the government has announced an austerity drive, why the railway ministry is indulging in these expenses?” Chatterjee said.

Mitra however, has clarified that she takes the salary because she is devoting her full time in this job. The intellectuals have also pointed out that others are partially available for this committee are taking only proportionate salaries.

Bibhas Chakraborty, another theatre personality and a member of the committee also added that the ruling Left Front had also given plum posts to their sympathisers in various committees formed by the government.