Former minister and senior Trinamul leader Gautam Deb on Wednesday tried to reach out to the voters of the Siliguri Municipal Corporation by elaborating on the works which were carried out by the board of administrators (BoA) at the civic body in the past seven months.

Deb was the chairperson of the BoA in the past seven months.

The senior politician told newspersons that he did not want to reiterate what he had done for the city during his tenure as the north Bengal development minister and as the chairman of the Siliguri Jalpaiguri Development Authority.

“I would rather prefer to reach out to the people with a ‘report card’ of the BoA of SMC and apprise the residents of what we have done since April this year. We will also elaborate to them the specific plans which we have drawn for the next five years for improvement of civic services in the city,” said Deb.

It may be mentioned that the former minister is contesting from ward 33 of Siliguri and is the principal face of the party at the municipal elections here.

His decision to highlight the BoA’s performance ahead of the publication of Trinamul’s election manifesto – the Left, BJP and Congress have already published their manifestos- indicates the desperation of leaders of the ruling party of the state to secure majority in SMC, a civic body where the party had never been to power.

“The elections will be held in another 10 days and hardly seven-odd days are left for the campaign. Gautam Deb’s plan to highlight the BoA’s activities shows that he intends to prove himself as compared to other prominent candidates like Asok Bhattacharya and Shankar Ghosh who are in the poll fray from rival political parties,” opined a political observer.

It is also yet another move to nullify the allegation often leveled by other parties, especially the Left, that the Trinamul government of the state has deprived the civic body here by not extending adequate financial assistance.

Deb, while speaking on the BoA’s performance, said: “We have conducted a survey to ease traffic movement of the city and experts of RITES (Rail India Technical & Economic Services) were engaged. They have already submitted a report, recommending alternative routes and a sixth bridge over Mahananda River. A
detailed project report of a mega drinking water project, with an estimated cost of 470 crores, is awaiting final approval from the state government.”

He has also hinted that some major announcements would be made in the party's official election manifesto, as along with Papiya Ghosh, the president of Darjeeling (plains) district Trinamul, Deb published a “catchline” for his party ahead of the civic polls.

“Sthobirotar Oboshan: Natuner Abhiyan – Sarbik Unnayaner Lokkhey Siliguri Ebar Didir Protinidhi Chay” (End of stalemate: beginning of the new expedition --- for comprehensive development, Siliguri wants Didi’s (Mamata’s) representatives this time), reads the catchline published in Bengali.