A gram panchayat chief of the Trinamul Congress in Jalpaiguri district on Tuesday faced protests from the leaders and the members of the party’s trade union for tea garden workers for alleged corruption in the execution of drinking water schemes.

The Trinamul Cha Bagan Sramik Union organised a two-hour demonstration in the office of Arabinda gram panchayat of Jalpaiguri Sadar block.

Around 1pm, the union’s leaders from Karala Valley tea estate reached the panchayat office. They were being accompanied by around 150 estate workers.

“Panchayat chief Rajesh Mondal has indulged in corruption. He is not following the tender process to implement drinking water schemes and is engaging contractors against money. It is because of him that residents of Karala Valley are not getting drinking water,” alleged Mahesh Raotia, the president of the trade union in the tea garden.

Tika Raotia, the deputy chief of the panchayat, also joined the protests. “The panchayat chief doesn’t apprise us of the decisions he makes. He has hardly implemented development projects in and around the garden,” said the deputy chief.

Kotwali police led by a deputy superintendent of police arrived and stationed themselves there till 3pm when the agitators left.

Raju Sahani, a worker of Karala Valley, also alleged that Mondal had halted the drinking water project taken up for the garden. “No steps were taken to repair roads either,” he said.

The rural chief has denied the charges. A drinking water project of Rs 11 lakh was taken up for the garden while Rs 1.10 crore was sanctioned for the construction and the repair of roads.

“The projects could not be carried out because of a section of local people. They obstruct the execution of projects for their interests. I have every proof to show that we have duly carried out the formalities before initiating the projects,” said Mondal.

Mondal said he couldn’t give any commitment to the protesters as the Model Code of Conduct for the Lok Sabha polls was in force.

In the panchayat elections held last year, Trinamul won 16 of 22 seats at Arabinda. Four seats went to the BJP, one each to the CPM and the CPI.

Sources said the protest was the fallout of factionalism in Trinamul.

Mondal, sources said, is a close associate of Krishna Das, the district president of Trinamul’s SC ST cell. Other Trinamul panchayat members are with Saikat Chatterjee, the vice-chairman of Jalpaiguri municipality.

Mahua Gope, the district Trinamul president, said leaders and workers should refrain from such protests ahead of the polls.

“We had no clue that the protest would take place. Instead of raising questions at each other, we should work together to ensure our party’s victory in the polls,” she said.

Bapi Goswami, the Jalpaiguri district president of the BJP, said: “We had said earlier that there were malpractices in the panchayat. Today (Tuesday), Trinamul leaders and supporters voiced the same charge.”