Kolkata, 21 February (H.S.):

Former West Bengal minister and suspended Trinamool Congress leader Partha Chatterjee returned to his Behala West assembly constituency on Saturday after a gap of nearly three years. This was his first public field visit since being released on bail in November last year in a case related to the SSC recruitment scam.

Parth Chatterjee was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on July 23, 2022. It is alleged that crores of rupees were recovered from the flats of his close associate Arpita Mukherjee. Partha Chatterjee spent nearly three years and three months in jail in this case.

Speaking to reporters while leaving his Naktala residence in South Kolkata, Partha Chatterjee said, Today is International Mother Language Day. What better occasion could there be than this to meet the voters of my constituency, listen to their problems, and re-establish my relationship with them.

However, the suspended Trinamool Congress MLA declined to comment on whether he would contest again from the same constituency in the upcoming assembly elections. He said, It's not in my hands.

After visiting the Behala West Assembly constituency, he said, Today I personally visited my constituency. My office remained open continuously to listen to people's problems. The administration also ensured that essential services were not disrupted.

Notably, Partha Chatterjee was once the General Secretary of the All India Trinamool Congress and was considered one of its key strategists before the party came to power in 2011.

Reacting to the various allowances recently announced by the state government, including the 'Yuva Sathi' scheme, Partha Chatterjee said there was nothing wrong with it. He said, This is the state government's prerogative. These schemes are for the social welfare of the general public. Previously, the Left Front government also implemented allowances and financial assistance schemes.

However, he added that creating employment opportunities for the youth should be of paramount importance, as grants and allowances cannot substitute for employment.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Priyanka Pandey