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Pro-Mamata intellectuals refuse to quit railway panels
Wednesday September 26, 2012 12:32:06 PM,
IANS
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Kolkata: Brushing
aside criticism over their continuation on various railway panels,
pro-Trinamool Congress intellectuals Tuesday said they will
continue to be members till new panels are formed.
Painter Shuvaprasanna, who heads the Railways Passenger Amenities
Committee, even chaired a scheduled panel meeting.
Painter Samir Aich, film directors Gautam Ghose and Haranath
Chakrabarty and singer Pallab Kirtanya are also members of the
panel.
The party's exit from the ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA)
has put a question mark over the fate of the committees
constituted when the Trinamool Congress held the railway
portfolio.
When Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee joined the UPA in 2009 and
took charge of the railway ministry, she constituted several
committees and inducted in them several intellectuals considered
close to her.
The committees were retained during the tenures of the next two
railway ministers, Dinesh Trivedi and Mukul Roy, who too were from
the Trinamool.
"These committees have a specific tenure. Now a new railway
minister has taken charge. He will surely form new committees. So
until and unless new committees are formed, we are there. There is
no question of stepping down as we are there to serve the nation,"
Shuvaprasanna said.
"Today I have chaired the meeting of the committee. We have
stressed on various issues regarding security and better comfort
of railway passengers. I can assure that the steps our committee
has taken are unique," he said.
Thespian Bibhas Chakraborty is a member of another railway
committee.
"The railway ministry is a part of the union government. There is
no logic in the demand for our resignations. If a specific party
that has formed such committees decides to withdraw support to the
government, it doesn't means that these committees should be
closed down," said Chakraborty.
Incidentally, both Chakraborty and Shuvaprasana gave these
statements on the sidelines of a protest rally by pro-Trinamool
intellectuals against the central government's decision to allow
FDI in retail.
Congress MP Adhir Choudhury though said the artistes were adopting
double standards.
"They are protesting against the government over retail FDI but
are continuing in the railway committees and receiving all kinds
of benefits. They have done nothing positive for the railways," he
said.
Financial benefits attached with the posts include a monthly
honorarium of Rs.10,000 to the head of the committee and Rs.8,000
per month to members.
Other perks include free travel and food and lodging when members
make official trips.
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