SJDA: Rudranath may succeed Asok

21 June 2011

SILIGURI, 21 JUNE: Siliguri MLA, Dr Rudranath Bhattacharya, is likely to assume charge as chairman of the Siliguri-Jalpaiguri Development Authority (SJDA).
Brushing aside all speculations over the nomination of chairman of the SJDA, the Trinamul Congress-led state government has decided to nominate Dr Bhattacharya, sources said. A large section of Trinamul Congress leaders had expected that the north Bengal development affairs minister, Mr Gautam Deb, would be nominated as the chairman of the SJDA. It may be noted that the former state urban development minister, Mr Asok Bhattacharya, was the chairman of the SJDA.
Being a Cabinet minister, Mr Deb had also visited the SJDA and held a meeting with the officials. The Jalpaiguri divisional commissioner, Mr AK Singh, was functioning as chairman of the SJDA since the then chairman of the SJDA, Mr Asok Bhattacharya, stepped down from his post to contest in the recently-concluded Assembly election.
Interestingly, the Jalpaiguri divisional commissioner, the Darjeeling district magistrate, Mr PMK Gandhi, and the chief executive officer Mr JP Meena have not yet received any official communication on SJDA. The divisional commissioner said: “We have not yet received any official notification regarding new chairman of the SJDA.”
The Darjeeling DM and the CEO, SJDA echoed the same. But, Mr Deb has informed his close associates that the Siliguri MLA would be nominated as chairman of the SJDA. The Siliguri MLA said: “I have heard the information but I am yet to receive any official communication.” Dr Bhattacharya also admitted that there was a lot of scope for the development of this region through SJDA.  Many developmental programmes might be executed in the Terai and the Dooars. sns