Mamata Banerjee pulled up three ministers in her cabinet for not implementing projects on time and one for making a public promise without consulting her during an administrative review meeting at Nabanna on Wednesday, sources said.
Sources present at the review meeting said the chief minister expressed her dissatisfaction over the progress of some projects being carried out by departments like tourism, transport, and public health engineering (PHE). Mamata was also reportedly unhappy with the way the irrigation minister promised to repair embankments damaged by Ganga erosion without consulting her.
Sources said Mamata, disappointed with the way the tourism department was functioning, advised tourism minister Babul Supriyo to consult the junior minister for information and cultural affairs, Indranil Sen, who had been handling the tourism department before the Ballygunge MLA took over.
“The chief minister said she visited the tourism bungalow at Baroghutu in Bankura and saw snakes there. The chief minister said this clearly indicated the department was not being run properly. She asked the minister to consult Sen and get informed about the department's details,” said a senior official present in the meeting.
Sources said that irrigation minister Partha Bhowmick faced the CM’s wrath for "commenting without consulting her".
Bhowmick recently commented in public that damages caused by river erosion would be repaired by the state.
“The chief minister made it clear that ministers should not comment without consulting her. She made it clear that the duty of repairing damages caused by erosion of the Ganga was the Centre’s responsibility and not of the state. The state has already raised the issue with the Centre,” said an official.
The source added that Mamata rebuked transport minister Snehasis Chakraborty for not completing on time a bus terminus at Tarapith in Birbhum.
“The chief minister said she announced the project long back and a sum of Rs 1 crore was allotted for the project. The department should not be run in such an inefficient way, she pointed out,” said a bureaucrat.
Mamata was also reportedly dissatisfied with the progress of projects of the public health and engineering department.
Sources said the chief minister asked PHE minister Pulak Roy to complete the state’s pipeline-based water supply project at the earliest.
“I have promised all households will get water through pipelines by 2024. But the way projects are progressing, it seems that you will prove me a liar,” the chief minister was quoted as saying.
Sources said that the chief minister was eager to complete all key projects at the earliest because the 2024 Lok Sabha elections were crucial for her as a prominent anti-BJP force.
