With the change of guard at the Rail Bhawan, the Trinamool Congress-leaning luminaries from the different walks of life, who had found a place in the several expert committees constituted by former railway minister Mamata Banerjee, have been finally shown the door by the Railways.
Alleging that Mamata Banerjee made the railway committees “a dumping ground for her loyal painters and poets”, Minister of State in Railway Ministry, Adhir Chowdhury said, “We have decided to dissolve all the committees.”
According to Chowdhury, the committees will be reformed with eligible and expert on the respective fields. “The committes are quite powerful. Those who can actually give some positive inputs and help to better the services should find a place in the future.”
During her stint with the railways, Mamata Banerjee had set up committees on passenger amenities, services, and heritage and culture inducting several intellectuals who were part of the "Paribartan Chai" campaign in the run-up to the assembly elections in Bengal.
For instance, the railway passenger amenities committee was headed by painter Shuvaprasanna has fellow painter Samir Aich, singer Pallab Kirtaniya and film directors Gautam Ghose and Haranath Chakraborty as members, many of who had lent their faces for the campaign for change.
Another pro-Mamata intellectual from the state Saoli Mitra chaired the railway heritage and culture committee, which has poet Joy Goswami and thespians Bibhas Chakraborty and Arpita Ghosh as members.
On the other hand, Passenger Services Committee (PSC) which was formed by Banerjee to suggest ways for improving food service at stations and trains, was headed TMC MP Derek O’Brien.
