BJP MP Kartick Chandra Pal has offered to allocate ₹1 crore from his Local Area Development Scheme funds to the Trinamool Congress-run municipality for a public bus terminus being built in the North Dinajpur district headquarters.
Political observers pointed out that it was rare for legislators to promise funds for projects taken up by a civic body run by a rival party.
The bus terminus will come up off NH12 near Siliguri More, a prominent crossing in Raiganj town.
The Raiganj MP sent a letter to the municipality on Thursday, expressing his willingness to allot the money from the MPLADS funds.
“The civic body here has taken a major initiative to build the bus terminus, which will ease traffic congestion in the town and provide better transportation and ancillary facilities. Being the Raiganj MP, I have proposed a financial assistance of ₹1 crore for the construction of the passengers’ waiting lounge, the feeding room for infants and children, the office block and additional infrastructure. I will allocate the funds from my MPLADS funds,” said Pal.
North Bengal development minister Udayan Guha has recently inaugurated the project being initiated by the state government.
“A sum of ₹3.4 crore has been sanctioned for the bus stand. Now that the MP has promised an additional amount, we believe the entire infrastructure will be ready in due time. It is a rare move on the part of an MP, a BJP legislator, to support a civic body run by Trinamool. Such gestures are expected from other BJP MPs also, particularly in north Bengal. It will expedite infrastructure development in the region,” said a political veteran based in Raiganj.
The MP said the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) had sought NOCs (no-objection certificates) from the civic body and the district administration for the construction of a road overbridge at a level crossing in Raiganj town.
“I hope the administration and the civic body will issue the NOCs so that the railways can initiate the work. The overbridge will also reduce traffic congestion in the town,” said Pal.
Sandip Biswas, chairperson of the board of administrators at the Raiganj civic body, has confirmed that he received Pal’s letter.
“We have received the letter and will soon hold a meeting to discuss the proposal. We need to find out whether additional funds are required for the project,” he said.
Sources in the civic body said the north Bengal development department had allotted ₹3 crore for the project. Added to it, Krishna Kalyani, the Trinamool MLA of Raiganj, has provided ₹40 lakh from his MLA funds for the construction of the boundary wall.
“We will soon decide on the MP’s proposal,” Biswas added.