Mamata Banerjee

Calcutta, Dec. 26: Mamata Banerjee today urged Trinamul leaders from North 24-Parganas to bury their differences but barely touched upon what many see as the main cause of infighting in the district - syndicates supplying construction materials.

Trinamul sources said syndicates, cartels run with the alleged backing of a section of ruling party leaders that force contractors to buy inferior building materials at high prices, was a chronic problem in North 24-Parganas. But the chief minister merely mentioned it in passing as an "afterthought" at a meeting.

Several parts of the district, including Rajarhat, have seen a real estate boom over the past few years.

At the meeting in her Kalighat home with 30 MLAs, five MPs and elected civic and rural body representatives from North 24-Parganas, Mamata said she would not tolerate " mastani" (hooliganism) and "tolabaji" (extortion).

"It was in this context that she made a passing reference to syndicates, brick kilns and bheris. Alleged involvement of party members in kilns and bheris is a small problem but she referred to them in the same breath as syndicates," a leader who attended the meeting said.

The leader said the meeting had thrown up a "great opportunity" for the chief minister to send a strong message against the alleged involvement of Trinamul leaders in syndicates "but instead, she repeated what she has been saying on infighting at the Saturday meetings with leaders from the districts".

MLAs Sujit Bose and Sabyasachi Dutta, MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar and minister Purnendu Bose, against whom allegations of involvement in syndicates have been made several times, were present at today's meeting. Supporters of these leaders have often been accused of clashing over the spoils of the syndicate business in Rajarhat-New Town.

An MLA from south Calcutta said syndicates were not only cash cows but also an avenue for unemployed youths to make fast money. He said Mamata had been trying to minimise conflict within the party and did not want to open up contentious flanks before next year's Assembly elections.

A Lok Sabha MP said although the chief minister had instructed her party members to steer clear of syndicates, little had been done on the ground to enforce the directive. "Today too it featured as an afterthought - more lip service than anything substantial," he said.

Another Trinamul leader said Mamata today emphasised on the need for unity in the run-up to the elections. "Everyone cannot be a leader. Set aside your differences and work together. Do not get into unnecessary trouble among yourselves or with the Opposition.... Remember, the EC (the Election Commission of India) is keeping a close watch," the leader quoted her as saying.