Siliguri, July 17: MLAs Rudranath Bhattacharya and Sankar Malakar today said they would co-operate with the investigation into the alleged funds misuse in the Siliguri Jalpaiguri Development Authority as the Left Front demanded the arrest of the duo.

The Left and the Congress asked why no action was being taken against the two MLAs, while IAS officer G. Kiran Kumar was arrested in connection with the scam.

Bhattacharya of Trinamul was the chairman of the SJDA when the scam came to light and the Congress's Malakar was a member of the development body's board.

Kiran Kumar was the CEO of the SJDA from 2011 to 2013 when over Rs 60 crore was allegedly misappropriated in connection with several projects, including construction of three electric crematoriums and a sewerage system and installation of CCTV cameras.

According to the CID that is probing the case, payments were made to private construction firms and suppliers even though no work was done.

Bhattacharya, the Trinamul MLA of Siliguri, today said he would continue to co-operate with investigating agencies.

"I would not comment on what other political parties are saying on the issue. I have always co-operated with the police, CID and Enforcement Directorate and will continue to do so in the coming days," he said.

Sources close to Rudranath, however, said he had expressed disappointment in close quarters over his party's silence over the matter.

"He has been at the receiving end of the Left Front which is targeting the Siliguri MLA as he was the chairman of the SJDA during the scam. He has dubbed the remarks of Left leaders as political statements and is equally upset that no Trinamul leader is coming out with statements in support of him," said a source.

The Darjeeling district Trinamul leaders continued to keep mum on the scam today also.

Party insiders, however, said they were worried over the ramifications of the arrest in the coming elections to the Siliguri Mahakuma Parishad. "We are concerned over the impact of the SJDA scam and the arrest of the IAS officer on the SMP polls," said a Trinamul leader, who didn't want to be named.

Asked about the scam, Sankar Malakar, the Congress MLA of Matigara-Naxalbari, was more aggressive.

"I was away from the town for personal work and heard remarks by some political parties, including Trinamul, over my absence. Trinamul leaders and the state government are trying to use my name to divert people's attention. Such strategies will not work as people want to know whether Trinamul has taken any step against its leaders, including the Siliguri MLA, who was the chairman of the SJDA. I had met police officers earlier and replied to their queries. There is no question of avoiding the CID or other agencies if they call me," he said.

Ranjan Silsharma, a Trinamul councillor at the Siliguri Municipal Corporation and Chandan Bhowmik, the former district Trinamul president - both were the members of the SJDA board and called for interrogation by the police in 2013 - refused comments today.

CPM leader and Siliguri mayor Asok Bhattacharya today demanded the arrest of Rudranath Bhattacharya and Malakar.

"From the fact-finding report filed by the experts of Jadavpur University as well as the investigation by police and other agencies, it is clear that the former CEO, who was arrested, had acted on the basis of approvals from the former chairman of the SJDA and other board members. All of them should be brought under the ambit of law. We suspect the state is trying to save these people by emphasising the arrest of the former CEO. All these people should be arrested for embezzlement of government funds," said the mayor.

Asok Bhattacharya said he suspected that the Centre had kept Siliguri out of the comprehensive drainage and sewerage scheme because of the scam and the non-completion of the Mahananda River Conservation Project.

Kiran Kumar had been arrested on Wednesday night and a court here yesterday remanded him in four days' custody of the CID.

Lawyers representing him said Kumar was made a scapegoat in the case.

"My client's responsibility was to implement the decisions taken by the board or instructions passed on to him by the chairman and board members. We believe he has been made a scapegoat with some specific intentions. We fail to understand why the investigating agencies, whether the Siliguri metropolitan police or the CID have arrested only him (Kiran Kumar) and some private contractors. There are indications of the involvement of some of the board members in the scam," said Tarit Ojha, a senior lawyer who is defending the accused IAS officer.

The Darjeeling district Congress, sources said, will hold a rally here on July 21, demanding the arrest of all those who were involved in the scam.

The CID started interrogating Kiran Kumar today after obtaining his remand from the court.

"Kiran Kumar was kept at Matigara police station yesterday. This morning, he was taken to the CID office in Pintail Village for questioning," said a CID source.