‘Is Yeasmin eligible?’

Statesman News Service

MALDA, 12 AUG: The Malda district magistrate, Mr Sridhar Ghosh, today sought clarifications from the principal secretary of the panchayat and rural development department, Dr MN Roy, on whether the sabhadhipati of the Zilla Parishad, Mrs Sabina Yeasmin, is entitled to be a member of the district level selection committee for the recruitment of staffs for the panchayat bodies.

Mr Ghosh sought clarifications following a complaint lodged by Mr Hamidur Rahman, the Opposition leader (Adhyakshya) of the Congress led Malda Zilla Parishad. He sent his letter to Dr Roy today.

Demanding an intervention of the district magistrate, Mr Rahman wanted to know how Mrs Yeasmin became the member of the district level selection committee for this recruitment board.

“If any person files a case in the Court on this issue,. the entire process of the recruitment will get delayed," Mr Rahman, another member of the selection committee, pointed out.

It may be recalled that Mrs Yeasmin became the member of the selection committee as karmadhyaksha of artho, unnayan o parikalpana (finance, development and planning permanent committee) sthayee samiti.

Mrs Yeasmin had been working as member of the district level selection committee since the period of former district magistrate Mr C R Das.

A few days ago the Opposition led board raised the question of her membership and questioned her eligibility from Mr Ghosh.

Just to overcome the ‘debate’, Mr Ghosh asked Mrs Yeasmin to nominate an eligible member of the MZP. Mrs Yeasmin replied: “She can nominate herself as member of the committee because she is the karmadhaksha of finance, development and planning permanent committee”.

According to the government directives, only two elected members belonging to the ruling party or two karmadhyaksha of the board can be the member of the board, provided one of the members is nominated from the scheduled caste category.

Belonging to the SC category, Mr Ujjal Choudhury, an elected Congress member of the MZP, was selected as a member of the district level selection committee.

“Our party had decided that Mr Choudhury and I, as the member of the minority community, would represent the selection committee. I can nominate myself as a representative of the committee, if the chairman of the selection committee approves”, said Mrs Yeasmin.