Sending out a strong message to a section of TMC workers who are allegedly involved in 'syndicate' business, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today said she would take stern action against them.
Syndicate is a racket in which people enjoying political patronage force contractors into buying inferior building materials from them at a premium.
"Mamata Banerjee today stressed that she will take stern action against those who are involved in syndicates. She said she had already taken some action and will take more steps whenever she receives such complaints," a senior TMC leader who was present at the meeting said.
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"She has been very angry and said she will not tolerate such things in the party," the leader said.
In the backdrop of arrest of TMC councillor Anindya Chattopadhyay over charges of extortion, the TMC leadership had asked party leaders to stay away from extortion and syndicate business.
"Earlier also she had cautioned a section of party leaders and workers who were involved in syndicates. Due to such leaders, the party's image is being sullied," he said.
The police administration has been given go ahead to deal with such cases strictly.
The opposition time and again had accused a section of TMC leadership for being involved in syndicate business.
The CPI(M)-led Left Front too faced similar accusations of patronizing syndicates towards the end of its 34-year-long tenure.
In today's meeting it was also decided that a new federation of TMC controlled Tea garden trade union will be formed to keep infighting at bay, the leader said.
Mamata alleged that the Centre wanted to close down
companies whose possible revival was being looked at by Board for Indistrial and Financial Reconstruction (BIFR).
"Yesterday I received a letter in which it has been indicated that it wants to close down BIFR companies. In Bengal we are trying to retrieve BIFR companies and the Centre wants to close them down," she said.
BIFR was an agency of the Government of India under Ministry of Finance whose objective was to determine sickness of industrial units and to assist in reviving those that may be viable and shutting down the others.
On 1 June, 2016, the Government of India closed it and established National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) and National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT).
