Partha Chatterjee removed from all TMC posts, to remain suspended till probe on: Abhishek Banerjee
Kolkata, July 28: Arrested TMC leader Partha Chatterjee has been removed from all organisational posts and will remain suspended from the party till the time the investigation into a school recruitment scam is underway, senior leader Abhishek Banerjee said.
Banerjee, who is the party's national general secretary, also said that doors of TMC would be opened for Chatterjee only if he was proven innocent.
"The TMC will not support anyone found involved in corruption. After today's disciplinary committee meeting, it was decided that Partha Chatterjee will be removed from all party posts with immediate effect. He will remain suspended from the party till the investigation is over.
If it is proved that he is innocent, then the doors of the party will be opened for him again," Banerjee said at a press conference at TMC Bhavan.
Chatterjee was TMC's secretary general for nearly two decades. He was appointed the party's national vice-president earlier this year.
He was also a member of TMC's national working committee and chairman of its disciplinary committee, besides being the editor of party mouthpiece Jago Bangla'.
Earlier in the day, the state government relieved Chatterjee of his duties as minister in-charge of various departments.
"These strict measures are being taken so that similar situations do not happen in future. We have zero tolerance for corruption. But we want the probe to be completed within a limited time frame.
It should not linger on like the Saradha scam investigation," he said, adding that the "onus" lay on Chatterjee to prove his innocence.
Chatterjee was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on July 23 in connection with its investigation into alleged irregularities in a recruitment drive by the School Service Commission (SSC).
The central agency also held Chatterjee's close associate Arpita Mukherjee and seized crores of rupees in cash from her residences in different parts of the city.
The suspension came hours after the chorus to expel him from the TMC grew louder within the party, with several leaders openly advocating his removal.
Claiming that the party had no relation with Mukherjee or the cash recovered from her residences, Banerjee demanded that the source of the money and assets seized have to be investigated, no matter what the status of the person.
Replying to the query on the party's change in decision, as it had earlier said that action would be taken only if Chatterjee was proven guilty, Banerjee said, "In the last few days, there have been certain circumstantial evidences, which may be right or wrong. Benefit of the doubt can be given to people, not to any leader.
In a dig at the BJP, the TMC MP said "if Partha Chatterjee joins the saffron camp" later, the probe against him would stop and he would go on to become a saint .
"We have seen that happen in cases related to Sovan Chatterjee, Suvendu Adhikari and Mukul Roy," he quipped.
Rebuffing demands by the opposition for Mamata Banerjee's resignation as the chief minister, he said, several central ministers should step down in that case as it is during BJP's tenure that Nirav Modi and Vijay Mallya escaped after looting public money.
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Dakshina Kannada district administration gears up for monsoon season
Mangaluru (PTI): The Dakshina Kannada district administration has got down to work ahead of the monsoon season (June to August) by beginning preparations to tackle various rain-related issues.
At a meeting held on Tuesday, the district authorities, Deputy Commissioner Mullai Muhilan MP reached out to the ground-level bureaucracy with directions on how to handle the challenges during the monsoon season.
Addressing the drinking water and disaster management authority officials, he highlighted the problems faced due to poor maintenance of the electrical system under Mangaluru Electric Supply Company (MESCOM) and said it was not just failure of power supply during rains but also snapping of live cables and falling electric poles which were a concern.
Since this would cause serious damage to life and property, he urged MESCOM to take precautions by carrying out inspections.
Muhilan also directed MESCOM to deploy additional men and open more control rooms across the district during the monsoon season and said both urban and rural areas must be given equal importance.
Muhilan said in the run-up to the monsoons, the existing domestic water availability should be managed prudently.
At the meeting, emphasis was laid on cleaning of dumping yards and garbage disposal areas before the monsoon.
The health department was asked to take precautionary measures against the spread of infectious diseases such as dengue and malaria during the rainy season.
He said that the National Highway should list areas where landslides occur in Charmadi Ghat areas and information should be made available to people about traffic related issues in ghat areas.
The district Deputy Commissioner instructed the Fisheries Department to hold a meeting on precautionary measures for fishermen during the rainy season.
