The Trinamool Congress` exit from the ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA) has put question mark over the fate of committees constituted when that party held the railways portfolio.
|Last Updated: Sep 23, 2012, 03:43 PM IST|Source: Bureau
Kolkata: The Trinamool Congress` exit from the ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA) has put question mark over the fate of committees constituted when that party held the railways portfolio.
When Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee joined the UPA in 2009 and took charge of the railway ministry, she constituted some committees and also inducted several intellectuals considered close to her into existing committees.
The committees were retained during the tenures of the next two railway ministers, who too were from the Trinamool Congress - Dinesh Trivedi and Mukul Roy.
Now that Banerjee and Trinamool have walked out of the UPA, some argue that the pro-Banerjee intellectuals must resign on moral grounds. The members of these official committees are entitled to many financial benefits.
"Why are they continuing when their benefactor (Banerjee) is gone? All these posts fall under `office of profit` and they must immediately resign on moral grounds," Congress parliamentarian Adhir Chowdhury said.
Banerjee`s close aide and painter, Shuvaprasanna heads the Railways Passenger Amenities Committee, which has fellow painter Samir Aich, film director Haranath Chakrabarty and singer Pallab Kirtanya as members.
The Passengers Amenities Committee has, among others the critically acclaimed film director Gautam Ghose too as a member.
There are those who hold that committee membership is no political favour: "These committees and their members are not a result of anybody`s benevolence. The committees are constituted through gazette notification by parliament. And members are not affiliated to any political party," Shuvaprasanna told a news agency.
Shuvaprasanna said, "I was asked to give my services for the welfare of the community and if I step down before my tenure ends, wouldn`t that be a disservice?"
The painter claimed that he did not avail of any financial benefits from the post.
"It is now for parliament to decide if they want to renew my term, which is due to expire in a few months," said the acclaimed painter.
Among the committees constituted under Banerjee is the Heritage and Cultural Committee which has actress Saoli Mitra and theatre personality Arpita Ghosh as members.
The 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.
Refusing to step down, Aich questioned the intentions of those demanding his resignation.
"How is morality attached to being a member of the committee? Moreover, who is Adhir Chowdhury to decide what is my moral obligation," Aich asked the news agency.
IANS
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.