Malda, July 27: A gram panchayat office was ransacked by angry villagers this morning after they found no staff present when they came to demand the repairs on a road.

The villagers smashed chairs, tables, almirahs, lights and fans at the Congress-run Binodpur gram panchayat office in Englishbazar.

“The condition of the road, a 5km stretch between Sattari and Binodpur, is horrible. It has lost its metalled surface is a slushy stretch. The people of five villages are dependent on this road and that is why we came to demand that the repairs be taken up,” said Tarun Mondal, a resident of Binodpur.

“The pradhan had given us time for a meeting today but she was not present, nor were the other members. The villagers became angry and ransacked the office,” Tarun said.

The residents also demonstrated in front of the office and a large police force was sent to the spot to bring the situation under control.

The villagers then ringed the policemen also. “The panchayat is non-functional so what is the use of having an office and that is why we destroyed it,” a villager said.

Tarun, 70, said ever since Dhirubala Sarkar took over as the pradhan, there had been a complete halt to development work. People who come to take old-age pensions, widow pensions, birth certificates have to return empty-handed.

Dhirubala, when contacted, said seven other Congress members and the four from the CPM were not allowing her to work.

“I do not go to the office as the members keep raising unjust demands and quarrel about where development work should be done. The local MP, Abu Hasem Khan Chowdhury had given Rs 10 lakh from his development fund last year to repair the road and it has been returned as we could not take up the work,” she said.

The pradhan said she had informed the police about the deputation and they arrived at 2pm. “Had I been in my office I would have been assaulted,” she added.

Abu Hasem, the Congress MLA from Malda south, blamed the pradhan for the state of affairs. “She is absolutely inefficient and today’s incident is a result of that. I had given Rs 10 lakh from my MPLAD fund and it was lying unutilised for a year,” he said.