WB Govt orders probe into fund allocation for North Bengal

The West Bengal government on Monday ordered an inquiry and special audit into the allocation of funds for development of North Bengal by the previous Left Front regime.

"We have found that the North Bengal Development Council under the previous Front government met only 14 times in the last 11 years but it could not give utilisation certificate for Rs 48 cr out of the total Rs 370 crore allocated to it, its vice-chairman Gautam Deb said.

Deb, the North Bengal Development minister, said the Left Front government failed to release Rs 11 crore of the total Rs 60 crore in 2010-11 allocated for the council, with the present government releasing the deficit.

"Special audit will also be made into the funds spent on different sectors and responsibility will be fixed on persons responsible for not utilising funds," Deb told reporters after a meeting of the council chaired by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who is also the council's chairperson.