Actor-politician Kanchan Mullick has become the centre of a controversy since Christmas-eve over his alleged attempt to get the expenses incurred during the birth of his daughter reimbursed by taxpayers’ money.
The TMC MLA reportedly spent ₹6 lakh during his wife Sreemoyee Chattoraj’s childbirth at a private hospital.
Trinamool’s state general secretary Kunal Ghosh claimed Mullick had not submitted the bill for the November 3 delivery — comprising ₹2 lakh for the private hospital and ₹4 lakh for the senior doctor and his team that handled the procedure —but only asked if he could have it reimbursed.
Ghosh said the MLA was well within his rights to claim reimbursement.
“MLAs are entitled to medical bill reimbursements from the Assembly, it is not against rules. Kanchan had merely enquired in the Assembly if he could submit this bill. He is yet to submit the bill,” Ghosh claimed, adding that Mullick did not deserve to be mocked.
“Even if he did submit the bill, there would be nothing wrong.... The Assembly could scrutinise it and proceed according to the rules…. The real focus of this discourse should be why should medical bills be this high at all.”
However, sources in Trinamool admitted to the incident having caused embarrassment to the ruling party where a lot of importance is still attached to ideals such as “simple living, high thinking” and austerity in public life.
Speaker Biman Banerjee said he was yet to see the bill.
“I have asked the officials to send me this bill if it is submitted. I need to see it first, only then will I be in a position to comment,” he said. “As a rule, if there is any bill worth over ₹1 lakh, I personally scrutinise it thoroughly before sanctioning it.”
BJP and Left leaders, however, tore into the TMC. “This is expected from a TMC MLA,” said CPM leader Sujan Chakraborty.
“Two, three, or more of our children will occupy a single bed and live in misery, while this government will pay for their own children’s astronomical expenses with the money of Bengal’s taxpayers,” said the BJP’s Sajal Ghosh.