Malda, Dec. 2: Disappointed with the performance of his own party’s agricultural marketing minister, former Forward Bloc MLA Biren Moitra who held the same post earlier has decided to retire from politics.

The former minister said he had already informed his party of the decision and will soon write to Forward Bloc state secretary Ashok Ghosh.

“During my time, the agricultural marketing department had created a regulated market society in Englishbazar but that has not started functioning even now. The ones that existed in the other districts have also become moribund,” Moitra said.

The veteran leader’s grouse was aimed at present incumbent Chhaya Ghosh. “I have told my party several times how Ghosh has virtually stopped all the initiatives I had taken to build up a proper marketing system but nothing has happened,” he alleged. Ghosh was unavailable for comment.

Moitra said he was disgusted with his party for ignoring all his entreaties. “I have resigned from all the posts I held in the party and also given up my membership of the state committee. Now, I have decided to withdraw from politics altogether,” said the leader from Malda.

“More than 100 unemployed youths bought stalls after securing bank loans from the Englishbazar regulated market. They are now paying the interest and virtually leading a hand-to-mouth existence since the government has still not handed over the stalls,” Moitra claimed.

Secretary of the market Benoy Poddar said the department did not have the funds to run the regulated market. “We need to have a drainage system, a transformer to generate power and a boundary wall. The stall owners have said they will not move in until these things are in place,” Poddar pointed out.

“It was on January 13, 2001, that chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee inaugurated the market. Since then, it has remained in the same condition,” Moitra regretted.

Recalling the market’s history, the politician said the foundation stone was laid way back in 1991 by minister Kalimuddin Shams.

“On the occasion of the foundation-stone-laying ceremony, it was announced that the regulated market would be completed within two years. Since then, Rs 7 crore have been spent and yet the market is still not functional,” he added.

He, however, did not say why things did not mature in the five years that followed Sham’s tenure when he was the agriculture marketing minister, a fact pointed out by the Malda Merchant’s Chamber of Commerce. “In the past 10 years, Rs 10 crore has been spent in paying the salaries of the workers and building the market but none of the 110 stalls are ready,” said chamber secretary Jayanta Kar.

“The authorities have been spending money without planning anything or keeping proper records. Lakhs have been wasted or misappropriated,” said secretary of the Citu-affiliated market workers’ union secretary, Anupam Gun.

The Forward Bloc union’s secretary, Subhadip Poddar, said the market had not taken off due to the lack of able leadership.

The market stands on 40 acres and contains 12 sheds for vegetables, 44 fruit stalls, two auction platforms and a police camp.