CPM plays dual role on water tax issue

Statesman News Service

MALDA, Oct. 23: At a time when the CPI-M leaders are opposing the hike in water tax rate at English Bazaar, the Left Front-led Old Malda civic body has introduced the same rate in the Old Malda town. The English Bazaar municipality is being run by the Trinamul-Congress combine and the CPI-M leaders were up in arms against the civic board’s move to introduce the new water tax rate. Senior Left Front leaders of Malda district are visibly embarrassed with the “dual role” being played by the CPI-M leaders. It may be recalled that in 2003, the then Trinamul-Cong-BJP-led English Bazaar civic board had introduced water tax at Rs 30 per month for each houses. The then civic body chairman, Mr Krishnendu Choudhury, had even defied his party supremo Miss Mamata Banerjee’s stand while imposing the tax.The Left Front leaders raised a hue and cry over the English Bazaar civic body’s decision and in the next municipality election the water tax issue played a major role. Eventually, the LF came to power at English Bazaar in the 2005 election and the civic board reduced the tax to half (Rs 15 for each houses). However, the LF-led board drew flak from the state urban development minister, Mr Asok Bhattacharya, for reducing the water tax rate. In May this year, the Congress-Trinamul alliance came to power at the English Bazaar civic board, ousting the Left Front. Mr Narendranath Tiwari, the chairman of the new board, once again increased the water tax rate for commercial buildings, much to the chagrin of the CPI-M leaders. Meanwhile, at the Old Malda municipality, the Left Front implemented the water tax rate of Rs 30, as per the government’s direction.The chairman of Old Malda municipality, Mr Biswanath Sukul, said: “We did not introduce the water tax, it was already there. We are only carrying out the same.”