Spilt in Congress over retrenchment issue

Statesman News Service

MALDA, July 30: The Congress is divided on the issue of retrenchment of casual workers from English Bazaar Municipality. The retrenchment order has come from the directorate of local bodies. While Youth Congress leader and EBM chief Mr Narendranath Tiwari and his associates are fighting against the government order, the Congress MLA from English Bazaar Mr Krishnendu Narayan Choudhury is advocating the government order. It may be noted that a group of eight councillors, who are followers of Mr K N Choudhury submitted their consent in writing to the EBM chief and have informed him that they would not oppose the government order. Upset with the eight councilors, Mr Tiwari brought Mrs Rubi Noor, congress district president and Sujapur MLA and her brother Mr A H Khan Choudhury, the Malda MP to encourage the casual workers who have been agitating with support from the non-left employees’ union against the DLB order to retrench 450 casual workers engaged over the past few years. The English Bazaar MLA Mr.Krishnendu Narayan Choudhury today told mdia persons that had not pulled strings retrench casual workers of the municipality with the help of the DLB. ”Such allegation, as is being raised from certain corners, is false,” he stated. It may be noted that another Congress leader and INTUC district president Mr Biswanath Guho and vice chairman of the EBM today alleged they suspected that Mr Choudhury had played a role in having the retrenchment order issued. Rejecting the allegation Mr Choudhury said: “I am against the retrenchment of hundreds of casual workers. I have a soft corner for them because some of them were recruited during my tenure. But the civic body cannot violate a government order.” DLB officials were scheduled to visit the EBM on 30 July to enforce the order but the programme was deferred. They would now visit on the first week of August.