Relatives and friends who came to cremate the bodies of Covid-19 patients at the lone electric crematorium in the industrial city have complained that handlers charged “arbitrary fees” and harassed them, forcing the administration to try and take steps to stop the alleged extortion racket.
“We have received some complaints of extortion and harassment by doms at the crematorium. We have set up a committee that will look into these grievances,” said Arghya Prashun Kazi, the subdivisional officer (SDO) of Durgapur in West Burdwan district.
SDO Kazi has iterated the cremation service was free of cost for the bodies of Covid-19 victims.
Trinamul leader hacked to death, BJP blamed He was about to enter his home, when a group of miscreants attacked him with sharp weapons
A Trinamul Congress leader was hacked to death outside his home in the Maynaguri block of Jalpaiguri district on Sunday night.
Police have arrested four persons in connection with the murder. District Trinamul leaders have accused the BJP of orchestrating the attack.
Sources said Ranjit Adhikari had been dropped at his home in Saptibari around 10pm by Trinamul workers after attending a party meeting.
While he was about to enter the home, a group of miscreants attacked him with sharp weapons. They hacked him on the head and face.
Trinamul and BJP leaders in north Bengal seem to be running a race to tom-tom state and central infrastructure projects, respectively, on their campaigns ahead of the Assembly election scheduled next summer.
Both sides are gathering information on infrastructure projects particularly those related to road and railway connectivity in north Bengal to prove to the electorate that they have taken major initiatives for the region, which is traditionally perceived as “neglected”.
“In another three days, north Bengal will witness a historic development by way of rail connectivity, as on December 17, the Haldibari-Chilahati (in Bangladesh) railway route would be reopened. The central government has made it possible for the project to come true and after a gap of 55 years (the route had closed in 1965), train connectivity between Bangladesh and the region will resume,” said Sreerupa Mitra Choudhury, a prominent BJP leader of the area.