Partha’s official car returned to Assembly

Since taking oath on May 20, 2011, Chatterjee has been using the minister's car provided by the Assembly. After his arrest, the same vehicle was seen in the premises of the Assembly. Later, it was learnt that Chatterjee had returned the vehicle.

The minister’s official car outside his Kolkata residence on Tuesday morning, before it was moved to the Assembly. (Express Photo by Partha Paul)

Amid growing demand from the Opposition for the removal of Industry Minister Partha Chatterjee from the Cabinet following his arrest in the school jobs scam, his official car was on Tuesday returned to the West Bengal Assembly. Chatterjee’s security officials too have been given other duties by the state Home Department, sources said.

Speaker Biman Banerjee confirmed that Chatterjee’s car, allotted to him by the Assembly was deposited, but said that the development did not “imply anything.”

Since taking oath on May 20, 2011, Chatterjee has been using the minister’s car provided by the Assembly. After his arrest, the same vehicle was seen in the premises of the Assembly. Later, it was learnt that Chatterjee had returned the vehicle.

Chatterjee, also secretary general of the ruling Trinamool Congress, was allotted the car and a driver by the Assembly as the Leader of the Opposition in 2006. “After the TMC came to power in 2011 and he became a minister, he continued to use the car and the driver until the other day. His driver was verbally asked to return the car to the Assembly,” a senior assembly official told PTI.

“The car was taken from the pool of cars owned by the Assembly. The driver is also an employee of the Assembly. As Partha Chatterjee is in custody and is not using it, his driver has deposited it in the Assembly. I think the driver did it on his own, but still, I will check tomorrow,” Speaker Banerjee said.

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On Monday, Mamata Banerjee said that if anyone is found guilty of wrongdoing, he must be punished and asserted that she does not support corruption.

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The TMC earlier said that the party and the government will take action against Chatterjee if he is proven guilty of the school jobs scam.

TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh has also made it clear that the party would not remove him as a cabinet minister or the secretary general of the TMC.

With PTI inputs

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