AGARTALA, March 21 (TIWN): The opposition Congress today reacting sharply on the Agartala Municipal Corporation (AMC) 2015-16 budget, staged walk-out from the budget discussion session. The congress described the budget to be aimless and has nothing for the common people of the state in spite of fooling the people. Talking to TIWN today Congress Councilor Tushar Bhattacharjee said “AMC Mayor Dr. Prafullajit Sinha comes up every time with a tax-free budget, but this has only deprived the common mass of the state as this years’ budget has also been readied to fool the people.”During the budget discussion session today at AMC office the opposition bench comprising of the councilor Panna Dey and Tushar Bhattacharjee and others staged a walk out from the house. Tushar Bhattacharjee said that after councilor Panna Dey tried to highlight the deprivation of the common mass of the state the ruling party bench at AMC managed to harass the opposition and misbehaved with them. The ruling bench also asked them to go out of the house, said Bhattacharjee.

Beside, holding a press conference at Agartala Congress Bhawan today evening councilor Tushar Bhattacharjee said that the 2015-16 AMC tax-free budget is worthless as it has been fooling the people at large with a tariff hike every year under the AMC. He said, “The AMC budget walks aimlessly giving no priority to the basic facilities of the common mass of the state”.

Bhattacharjee said that when the entire state has been suffering from a severe safe drinking water crisis, the 2015-16 AMC budget has not brought any solution to it rather than fooling the people that it does every year presenting the so called tax free budget. Besides, talking to TIWN today councilor Tushar Bhattacharjee indicated that the AMC has been conducting several unscientific works here at the capital city spending handsome amount of money every year.

Congress Councilor Tushar Bhattacharjee talking to media persons at Congress Bhawan. TIWN Pic March 21

Later pointing out worst condition of the Agartala city during the rainy season, Bhattacharjee said that the water stagnant condition here in Agartala during the rainy reason has not yet improved in spite of the construction of the cover drains. However this clearly proves that the work was conducted totally in an unscientific way.

Bhattacharjee also said that the AMC has not laid any priority to the drinking water crisis and the quality of the water yet today that has lead to several water borne diseases. Adding to that he said, the leakage of the ground water pipeline and its worst condition is far behind from its maintenance. Sinha tabling the budget said that the North Zonal work for laying of water pipeline is almost complete and the rest zonal wise works will be taken up soon, but the AMC has set no target for the completion of the work, therefore it will of course confuse the people of the state and will be deprived again, Bhattacharjee said.

 It is worthy to be mentioned here that  AMC Mayor Prafullajit Sinha tabling the budget this year said that the 2015-16 budget has attached certain priorities which include provision of drinking water facilities, sewerage system, housing for the urban poor, Avenue and institutional plantations, development of slum areas including construction of houses under RAY under JnNURM, strengthening the solid waste management, setting up of scientific landfill station, city beautification, establishment of one dispensary for health check of staff/workers engaged in SWM and construction of roads, drains, and others.