Bengal parties on foundation stone-laying, inauguration spree

KOLKATA - With dates for elections to the West Bengal assembly likely to be announced next week, political parties are on a spree of stone-laying ceremonies and inaugurations across the state.

The opposition Trinamool Congress is well ahead of the ruling Left Front in terms of number of programmes.

While party chief and Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee busy in Delhi for parliament’s budget session, Trinamool MPs and state leaders were busy inaugurating various projects and the laying the foundation stones of various projects.

A renovated and air-conditioned indoor stadium of Eastern Railways was inaugurated by Kolkata mayor Sovan Chatterjee and opposition leader Partha Chatterjee in Kolkatas Behala area, while the foundation stone of Hooghly river beautification project was laid by Minister of State for Shipping Mukul Roy.

Trinmool MP Sudip Bandopadhyay laid the foundation stone of Kamardanga Halt station, while Minister of State for Rural Development Sisir Adhikari inaugurated the new computerised rail reservation centre at Egra area in East Medinipur district.

All these programmes had advertisements in various dailies across the state which screamed “with the initiative of Mamata Banerjee”.

Meanwhile, a new office of Housing Development Infrastructure Development Corporation (HIDCO) was inaugurated by Tripura Chief Minister and Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) politburo member Manik Sarkar in Jyoti Basu Nagar area of North 24 Parganas district. The program was also attended by state Housing Minister Gautam Deb.