Speed up development to compensate delay: Mamata

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday took stock of the status of work under various state schemes and urged the administration to speed up the process of development that was halted for almost three months due to rural body elections.

"I understand that the developmental activities were temporarily hampered due to the Panchayat election process this year. Three months have been wasted due to Panchayat polls. Now it is time to speed up the work. Elections will come and go but the development should not be stalled," Banerjee said at a meeting of administrators in Howrah district.

Referring to the statistics of the hundred days of wage-employment (MGNREGA) in the district, Banerjee said it had completed 52 days and 60 days of work under the scheme in the last two financial years while this year the work has been done for only 14 days so far.

"Whatever work has been halted has to be compensated in double speed. We must target to complete at least 70 days of work under MGNREGA," she said.

West Bengal's Panchayat election was initially scheduled in the first week of May but it was rescheduled to May 14 following a Calcutta High Court order to extend the nomination deadline and announce a fresh polling date.

The government repeatedly claimed that the delay in election process was hampering the state's economy and development as all works were stopped due to the model code of conduct.

Talking about the law and order situation, Banerjee said some pockets in the district witness regular incidents of violence and crime and asked the police to immediately identify the regions responsible for fomenting trouble.

--IANS

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