Left Front eyes Malda zilla parishad

Statesman News Service

MALDA, March 5: With a view to recapture Malda zilla parishad (MZP) in the forthcoming panchayat polls, scheduled to be held in May, the district Left Front would start its first campaign by staging a demonstration in front of MZP on 7 March. In last panchayat polls the RSP went it alone and the CPI-M lost one seat. Out of 33 seats the LF had won only 16 seats. The LF has already circulated leaflets across the district regarding the agitation terming the present board, led by the Congress, Bharatiya Janata Party and Trinamul, as ‘corrupted'. The LF has also decided not to take part in the ‘adjourned’ meeting to be held on 7 March called by the sabhadhipati of MZP Mr Goutam Chakraborty to table the draft budget for the financial year 2008-09 again based on the Panchayat Act. It may be noted that since the MZP is trying hard to finalise its draft budget since 5 February but failed to execute it due to lack of its majority members. The revised estimated draft budget was Rs 128.59 crore. Though the Opposition leader of the MZP and other members attended the meeting called on 5 February to express their views regarding the draft budget, they boycotted the meeting held on 26 February protesting against the decision of the MZP related to the draft budget which was revised without consulting the Opposition members. The Opposition leader Mrs Gouri Tudu had sent her party's views to the divisional commissioner and other officials concerned boycotting the meeting. In the leaflet circulated by the LF leaders the district LF convener Mr Jiban Moitra claimed: “We wanted to make the budget in the interest of the people of this district in consultation with members of the MZP belonging to all political parties. But the present board did not bother to consider our appeal”. The sabhadhipati of the MZP Mr Goutam Chakraborty told reporters: “When the board is trying to finalise the draft budget of the MZP in the interest of the people the CPI-M leaders are not cooperating with us as a result of which we can not pass the budget”.