Kolkata, Oct 8: West Bengal Governor C.V. Ananda Bose on Sunday said that he is ready to meet the Trinamool Congress delegation and discuss the issue of unpaid central dues to the state government, provided there is an evident improvement in the law & order situation in the state. “I am ready to meet the Trinamool Congress delegation. But there has to be an improvement in the law & order situation in West Bengal first,” the Governor said after returning to Kolkata from Darjeeling on Sunday evening.
The Governor’s convoy from Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport to Raj Bhavan had to avoid the regular entrance point – the North Gate – as the Trinamool dais of sit-in-demonstration is there right in front of it.
Instead, the convoy entered the Raj Bhavan premises through its South Gate.
Earlier, the Governor, while speaking to media persons, said that he had not got any official application from Trinamool for an appointment to discuss the matter. Trinamool national General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee, who is leading the sit-in-demonstration in front of Raj Bhavan since Thursday afternoon, has claimed that the agitation programme will continue unless the Governor meets the party delegation and discuss the issue of unpaid central dues to the state government.
On Sunday afternoon only, the office of the Governor sent a communique to Chief Secretary HK Dwivedi on how could the police administration allow ruling party’s sit-in-demonstration in front of the Raj Bhavan, breaking prohibitory orders imposed in a 150 metre area radius area of the complex round the year on a 24×7 basis.
Senior TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee, leading a three-day sit-in outside Raj Bhavan, on Sunday criticised Governor CV Ananda Bose for his alleged pro-BJP conduct and pledged to continue the agitation until he received satisfactory response on clearance of state’s dues under MGNREGA.
He also condemned the BJP for allegedly using central agencies to intimidate TMC leaders, referring to the recent searches conducted by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) at 12 locations, including the residences of senior West Bengal Minister Firhad Hakim and TMC MLA Madan Mitra, as part of an investigation into alleged irregularities in recruitment processes within civic bodies. (Agencies)
