Cooch Behar, Feb. 3 -- North Bengal Development Minister Udayan Guha on Tuesday paid a courtesy visit to the Cooch Behar Municipality, during which the civic body submitted several development-related proposals and discussed funding requirements for upcoming projects.
The minister visited the municipality to meet the newly appointed chairman.
Describing the visit as informal, Guha said: "It was merely a courtesy visit." However, municipal officials used the opportunity to place a series of demands before the minister.
Municipal chairman Dilip Saha said discussions were held on various proposed development works, including the requirement of funds to implement planned projects. "The municipality needs financial support to carry out several initiatives, and these matters were discussed with the minister. Funding for an additional crematorium furnace was also taken up," Saha said.
The chairman also praised the minister's role in local development, stating that projects worth around Rs.14 crore have been completed in Cooch Behar town since Udayan Guha assumed charge as North Bengal Development Minister.
He added that municipal representatives would visit Kolkata next week, where the minister would also be present, and expressed hope that further funds could be arranged to accelerate development work.
Interestingly, Guha had not visited the municipality during the tenure of former chairman Rabindranath Ghosh.
Opposition parties have repeatedly alleged strained relations between the minister and the former chairman. Responding to the controversy, Guha declined to comment, stating: "Various demands were placed before me by the municipality, and as a minister, I will try my best to address them."
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.