A little after her romping victory to lead the State of West Bengal, the Sarada Ponzi scam rocked the State. Kunal Ghosh, Srinjoy Bose (MPs), and Madan Mitra, the West Bengal Transport minister, were jailed. Many investors committed suicide. The second larger scam, Rose Valley, shook the State, and MPs Sudip Bandhopadhyay and Tapas Paul were jailed in connection with the scam. Sarada ate away Rs.2500 crores and Rose Valley Rs.17000 crores of poor man’s money.
Prayag group, floated by Basudeb Bagchi and Avik Bagchi, claimed to establish a film city over 12,500 acres in Chandrakona in West Midnapore, a sham, allegedly with the blessings of the ruling party.
Narada sting involving many TMC leaders failed to reach its logical ends, embroiled in a legal quagmire, despite the tapes being proven authentic by forensic laboratories. Despite the shocker, the tainted leaders returned with a thumping majority in the 2016 State elections. Repeated bridge collapses, killing many is whispered due to sub-standard construction materials forcibly supplied by the syndicates.
The Coal scam, estimated to be Rs.1900 crores, rocked the State, and the CBI has named 41 Eastern Coalfield officials in their charge sheet. The TMC’s top leader Abhishek Banerjee, his wife, the State Law minister Moloy Ghatak and several police officials have been questioned. The primary suspect, Lala, alias Maji’s unaccounted cash transactions add up to Rs.5500 crores, with kickbacks of Rs.1300 crores.
Besides these, scams like cow smuggling through the 2216 Km border with Bangladesh have alerted the investigation agencies. The primary accused, Vinay Mishra, has fled India. Saigal Hossain, the PSO of Anubrata Mondol, a senior TMC leader from Birbhum district, has been arrested in the cattle smuggling case. He is alleged to have amassed huge wealth (estimated at Rs.100 crores). A BSF commandant Satish Kumar has been arrested in this case.
Besides illegal sand mining, syndicate control over construction materials, cut money harassment, and recruitment scams have come to the fore, with the Calcutta High court breathing heavily on the State. Eligible candidates who were earlier selected on merit but lost their employment to those who have bribed their way to secure jobs are protesting for the last 500 days near the Gandhi statue in Kolkata.
Mamata Banerjee has disowned any connection with any scam, which is noted. But what cannot be missed is that most of her colleagues are steeped in corruption of every conceivable nature and kind. Unlike in Narada, which she could twist as a conspiracy by the BJP, the current scams like coal and SSC Recruitment has seemingly left an indelible trail, leading to the highest leaders in the party. Unless Mamata acts speedily, throws the corrupt out, and cleans up her party, she may find the 2024 elections tough and perhaps her last. She must begin by sacking her party’s General Secretary and Minister Partha Chatterjee right now and not wait till the court sentences him. If he is found innocent, he can be reinstated.
The flamboyant lifestyles of party leaders are increasingly glaring, and Bengal’s citizens may be myopic but not blind.
Sampath Kumar
Intrépide Voix
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