Early rural poll hint

OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

Calcutta, Dec. 13: Mamata Banerjee has asked ministers, MPs, MLAs and councillors to start preparing for the panchayat polls scheduled for 2013, giving rise to speculation that the elections may be brought forward. This was announced at a meeting Mamata had in Town Hall today with the elected representatives from Calcutta and the districts. As part of this process, Mamata will address party workers on Panchayati Raj at Netaji Indoor Stadium on January 19. “Mamatadi said the party will have to focus on panchayat polls now. At the Panchayati Raj conference to be held in January, the party’s policy for the development of the rural bodies will be put forward,” a Trinamul leader said. The Mamata Banerjee government is mulling a change in the panchayat rules to stop candidates from contesting as representatives of political parties. Mamata has also introduced a three-tier system for monitoring development projects in rural Bengal. The chief minister has been pressing the panchayat department hard to dole out funds under the 100-days work scheme and involve more people in the projects. “She said involving villagers in the development work will make them feel closer to the government,” the leader said. Mamata also instructed the MLAs to submit a list of projects to be carried out in their constituencies to government chief whip Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay.