Bengal Congress meets governor to complain about Mamata government

KOLKATA: West Bengal Congress on Monday met the governor M.K.Narayanan and highlighted Mamata Banerjee's failure to maintain law and order situation under control in the state. The delegation was led by the West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee (WBPCC) president Pradip Bhattacharjee.

The Congress which is also a part and parcel of Mamata's government here, also raised objections to the state government's decision to pay Rs 2000 to each of those Singur farmers whose land was acquired forcibly by the previous Left Front government and who had refused to accept compensation from the government for their land.

Bhattacharjee later told ET that ""almost everyday Trinamool Congress activists are attacking our supporters, forcibly occupying our party offices and so far nine of our partymen were killed by Trinamool Congress activists."" He also said that the governor had sought a specific report on Trinamool-sponsored atrocities on Congress workers and assured the Congress delegation that he will inquire into all such allegations after receiving specific information from the Congress leadership.

WBPCC general secretary Debabrata Bose, who also accompanied the party delegation to the governor, told ET that ""there has been a total confusion among the Singur farmers over Mamata Banerjee's announcement that her government will pay Rs 2000 each to all the unwilling Singur farmers until and unless the government managed to return their land.

But we have information that genuine farmers who had to sacrifice their land for the previous Left Front government are not getting the monthly compensation of Rs 2000. We don't know whether the genuine farmers are getting the money at Singur or bogus farmers had managed to get the compensation. We also don't know on what basis the government has selected these farmers.""

Earlier in the day, WBPCC leadersship held a protest demonstration in front of the Calcutta Electric Supply Corporation (CESC) office here in protest against the recent hike in power tariff. Bose said that they will go for a larger movement against the CESC for increasing the power tariff and mobilise public opinion against this.