There are many complaints from the local population about the road, says Mamata Banerjee. (Archive)
Calcutta:
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said today that the Department of Public Works (PWD) will regain control of a road near the Visva Bharati University campus. The 2.9 km road connects two university campuses, Santiniketan and Sriniketan, and the university authorities obtained its possession in 2017.
“There are many complaints from the local population that they are not allowed to use the road and that it is causing inconvenience. Therefore, the PWD will now take control,” Banerjee told a management meeting in Bolpur, Birbhum district.
Around 3,000 locals reside in the area near the road that also passes the homes of Nobel laureate Amartya Sen and painter Nandalal Bose.
Locals say that the frequent closure of this road by university authorities causes problems, as they are forced to take a roundabout bypass. Around 60 families had written to the prime minister in September complaining about the inconvenience and urging his government to take possession of the century-old heritage route, as they fear access will be blocked.
Mamata Banerjee’s decision to return it to the PWD today comes amid her confrontation with University Vice Chancellor Bidyut Chakrabarty over an event and her support of Amartya Sen over reports that he is on the illegal parcel holder list. from Visva Bharati University.
Ms Banerjee’s Trinamool party had recently accused the University authorities of not inviting the prime minister to the centennial celebration event attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
On Friday, the prime minister also spoke out in support of Sen over his ancestral property on the Visva Bharati University campus in Santineketan and in a letter addressed to him said that some “nouveau invaders” are raising unsubstantiated allegations.
Banerjee said today that the BJP aims to destroy Bengal’s most important institutions and attack Bengal’s most important icons.
The prime minister is scheduled to tour Bolpur’s main street tomorrow as part of her election campaign. Their tour comes a week after BJP leader Amit Shah visited Bolpur and the university campus.
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