8.2.12

Mamata going the Mayawati way?

Kolkata may be crying for better hospitals and roads, but Trinamool Congress MPs representing the city will now spend their allotted development funds only on beautification. This directive came from Kolkata South MP Subrata Bakshi and was circulated among party councillors on Tuesday, leaving many of them fumbling for words. The Kolkata Municipal Corporation is already on a frenzied drive to paint Kolkata blue — because CM Mamata Banerjee has decided to make it the city’s theme colour. Even trees on Red Road have been painted in enamel blue colour. Now, under Bakshi’s new rules, if you paint your house blue and white, you could win yourself a rebate on property tax. These guidelines will soon be issued by the city’s civic brass, Bakshi told Trinamool councilors at the KMC headquarters on Tuesday. An MP gets Rs 6 crore a year for development projects. Bakshi has already told councilors in his constituency (that was vacated by Mamata) to submit beautification projects. The new guidelines unequivocally say that central funds allotted to an MP for area development will instead be used for beautification. This includes laying pavements with designer tiles, sprucing up parks and painting flyovers, bus shelters, bridges, lamp-posts and just about everything blue. A section of TMC expressed surprise over Bakshi’s proposal to use MPLAD funds for beautification. “We have potholed roads, and poor sewerage and water supply systems. MP grants were meant to be used for slum development, repair of school buildings and other development purposes,” said a councillor.

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