Sabitri ​Mitra orders probe against 'gross irregularities' by Manjul

Kolkata: West Bengal Refugee, Relief and Rehabilitation Minister Sabitri Mitra on Wednesday ordered a probe into alleged gross irregularities committed by her predecessor Manjul Krishna Thakur during his tenure.

After Manjul Krishna Thakur resigned as minister in the Mamata Banerjee cabinet and quit Trinamool Congress to join the BJP, a party leader from Malda district Sabitri Mitra was offered the portfolio by the Chief Minister.

Announcing the decision, Mitra told reporters that she had received a number of complaints from different unions of government employees and officials against the former minister.

"The department will probe the entire issue and submit its report to her. Terms of reference will be finalised in a meeting with all senior officials in the department soon and an appropriate order will be issued in this regard," she said.

Allegations have also been raised against Thakur regarding misuse of nearly Rs 1.5 crore fund allocated for a number of schemes in the department, Mitra said.

"The entire issue will be probed by the departmental committee," she said.

Allegations have also been raised against Thakur's behaviour with employees and officials, besides lack of his experience to run the department in an effective manner, Mitra said.

Thakur, who was handling the Refugee Relief and Rehabilitation portfolio, had joined the BJP along with his son and panchayat functionary Subrata Thakur, accusing the party of functioning in a 'whimsical' way.

Mitra was functioning as a minister without portfolio after her social welfare portfolio was taken away in the last cabinet reshuffle effected by the chief minister in mid-2014.