Raiganj, Oct. 6 -- The formation of the new board of Islampur Panchayat Samity in North Dinajpur district was postponed on Tuesday citing apprehension of deterioration in the law and order situation and security concerns. Elected members of the Panchayat Samity were reportedly informed about the postponement. The sudden decision has triggered criticism in political circles.
Pinaki Debnath, BDO, Islampur, said: "The board formation has been postponed on Tuesday considering the law and order and security situation. The next date will be fixed after discussions with senior officials, following which all elected members will be informed."
According to sources, Islampur Panchayat Samity has 38 elected members. Before the change of government in the state, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) had 36 members, while the BJP had two. However, the political equation changed after 16 TMC members moved a no-confidence motion against Binta Das Sarkar, the then Sabhapati of the TMC-led board.
The 20 members who supported the no-confidence motion later joined the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM), while the remaining 16 members, including the ousted Sabhapati, joined the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI). The administration had announced that a meeting would be held on Tuesday for formation of the new board.
Juber Alam, one of the members who recently joined the GJM, alleged that the GJM members were being threatened by NCPI supporters and claimed that attempts were being made to disrupt the democratic process.
However, Shyamal Sarkar, an NCPI member, dismissed the allegation as baseless and said the administration had taken the right decision by postponing the meeting in view of security concerns.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.