Deb panel to oversee civic work - Six-member committee to take stock of state projects in municipal areas

Siliguri, April 24: North Bengal development minister Gautam Deb today formed a six-member committee to oversee the development works taken up by the state government in the Siliguri Municipal Corporation area. “The civic body led by the Congress has failed to meet the aspirations of the people of Siliguri and carry out infrastructure development through execution of schemes planned by the state government,” he said here today. “The state government however, cannot shirk its responsibilities and it is determined to implement the projects, ranging from health care to road infrastructure to drainage. That is why, the committee has been formed to oversee the development works and also to ensure that tasks taken up by one agency do not overlap with another,” the minister added. “The committee, headed by a joint secretary of the (north Bengal development) department, comprises the SMC commissioner, officials from the SJDA (Siliguri Jalpaiguri Development Authority) and engineers,” Deb said. The minister, however, added that unless the civic body granted permission to the north Bengal development department or the SJDA headed by him, the projects planned by the state government could not be executed . “The onus is on the civic body and its minority (Congress) board,” he said. The projects that the committee would oversee include road widening and development , development of Dinabandhu Mancha, Rabindra Bhawan and Rabindra Mancha in the town, drainage scheme at Shaktigarh, construction of a hospital in association with the Mission Hospital Group of Durgapur and completion of the fourth Mahananda Bridge. The six-member committee would submit its reports to Deb. Siliguri mayor Gangotri Datta expressed disappointment at Deb’s hint at carrying out development work through other agencies like the SJDA and the PWD. “The corporation will continue to work and provide civic services to the people of Siliguri. It is surprising that he (Deb) did not bother to call me but called my officer (SMC commissioner P.D. Pradhan), held a meeting and formed a committee,” Datta said. “We want to assert that we would continue to support the state government on matters related to development of Siliguri,” the mayor added.