The Trinamul Congress has launched a drive in Sandeshkhali to identify residents whose properties were allegedly grabbed by party leaders Shibaprasad Hazra and Uttam Sardar and to pay compensation for the expropriated assets.

Hazra and Sardar who, along with Trinamul leader Shahjahan Sheikh, have been in the eye of public outrage since the first week of this month.

Trinamul has decided to prepare a list of villagers who have also alleged that they were at the receiving end of alleged financial atrocities perpetrated on them by the trio of Shahjahan, Uttam and Shibaprasad.

Armed with pen and paper, Trinamul’s team consisting of Sandeshkhali panchayat samity vice-president Maheswar Sardar, panchayat samity member Ashtami Das and panchayat member Ganesh Das were seen visiting the homes of villagers and collecting data.

Speaking to The Telegraph, Trinamul’s Sandeshkhali MLA Sukumar Mahata said: “We have asked three of our local leaders to find out the amount of dues and prepare a list of villagers. They will also examine other problems villagers have been facing. The preliminary findings indicate that the allegations of non-payment by the two leaders (Shibaprasad and Uttam) are true.”

“Uttam has a big unpaid amount, whereas Shibaprasad has largely cleared dues. Uttam has business in fisheries and he should clear the dues. We have told this to him and his family as well. We also told police to help in this initiative,” the Trinamul MLA added.

The party has already asked both the leaders
and their family members to clear their dues and at the same time, it is exploring alternative ways to settle the dues in case the two leaders did not pay up.

Uttam and Shibaprasad were accused of grabbing the land, ponds and fisheries of several residents of Sandeshkhali in North 24-Parganas. Although the residents were later promised the payment, none received the money from the duo.

SC urgent hearing

The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to examine a plea for the early hearing of a PIL filed by an advocate who sought among other things a CBI or court-monitored probe into alleged sexual violence against women belonging to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes at Sandeshkhali.

Additional reporting by our legal correspondent in New Delhi