KOLKATA, May 17 : Alleging that Bengal’s education system had been “reduced to ruins” and several national highways were deliberately downgraded to facilitate liquor businesses, West Bengal Minister Dilip Ghosh on Sunday accused the previous Trinamool Congress regime of corruption and misuse of public infrastructure for “vested interests”.
Addressing a gathering in the railway town of Kharagpur under West Midnapore district, Ghosh claimed that the state’s academic backbone had been “systematically destroyed”, with acute shortages of teachers and non-teaching staff crippling schools across Bengal.
“There is virtually no education system left in Bengal. The entire structure has to be rebuilt under the National Education Policy,” he said, while promising sweeping reforms and fresh recruitment in the education sector.
In the same breath, the BJP leader alleged that several stretches of national highways were converted into state highways during the Trinamool regime to bypass restrictions and allow liquor outlets along roadside corridors. “Road character was changed only to protect liquor business interests. These were decisions taken not for public welfare, but for profit,” he charged.
Ghosh further claimed that while roads maintained by the Centre remained comparatively functional, most roads under the state government had deteriorated badly. “Whatever is under the Centre is still in usable condition. The rest of Bengal’s roads are collapsing,” he remarked.
The minister also announced a strict crackdown on illegal parking, roadside encroachments and alleged extortion by transport syndicates. “Autos, totos, trucks and private vehicles are being parked indiscriminately while illegal collections are taking place openly. This anarchy will stop,” he said, adding that only designated parking zones would be allowed henceforth.
Taking aim at the state’s policing system, Ghosh defended the withdrawal of security cover from several political leaders, alleging that police personnel were being diverted to protect “syndicate operators and corrupt politicians” instead of ordinary citizens. “Police stations are understaffed because officers are guarding leaders who run extortion networks,” he alleged.
On post-poll violence, the minister said thousands of pending complaints from the 2021 Assembly elections would be revisited and victims provided legal assistance. “Many FIRs were never registered. Those files will now reopen and justice will follow,” he asserted.
Ghosh also accused the previous administration of delaying crucial infrastructure projects, including the Chingrighata-New Town-Airport Metro corridor, despite massive public expenditure. “Thousands of crores were spent, yet projects were stalled because the government did not want metro connectivity to improve,” he alleged.
During discussions with traders in Kharagpur’s railway market area, the minister intervened in the issue of a proposed steep rent hike for railway market shops and assured businessmen that the matter was under negotiation with railway authorities.
The Government Employees’ Joint Forum later felicitated him during his visit to the district. (UNI)
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