Party offices multiply on public space http://www.telegraphindia.com/1120207/jsp/calcutta/story_15103084.jsp ZEESHAN JAWED A poster of Mamata Banerjee outside the Trinamul office on a footpath at Baidya Para Inside the Trinamul office on a CIT Road footpath in Phoolbagan The Trinamul trade union office on Hyde Road on a plot belonging to the port trust The gymnasium adjacent to the Trinamul office at Mominpur The Trinamul office on the EM Bypass at Netaji Nagar. The structure on its right is the CPM party office. Pictures by Bishwarup Dutta and Anindya Shankar Ray Soon after becoming chief minister last May, Mamata Banerjee had instructed her party workers not to build Trinamul Congress offices on public spaces and also pull down the ones inconveniencing people. A survey revealed that exactly the opposite has been happening. New party offices have come up on public property and road-hog temporary structures have been made concrete. Metro visited some of the Trinamul party offices that are flouting rules. Mominpur With air-conditioned interiors, tiled floor and sparkling steel chairs, this is one party office that could pass off for a corporate one. Except that it stands on a part of a four-cottah plot in ward 79 that belongs to Calcutta Port Trust. A board outside the L-shaped concrete structure declares that it belongs to the Calcutta Port wing of the Trinamul Congress. A gym, named Kabi Rabindra Nath Thakur Vyayam Kendra, is next door. The admission of encroachment comes from the former president of ward 79 unit of the party, Indrajeet Sarkar or Jhontu, as he is better known in the area. The excuse? "Had we not built our party office here, somebody else would have. Moreover, we are doing social service. We have constructed a vat outside for people to dispose of waste," Sarkar told Metro. Local MLA Firhad Hakim, however, distanced himself from the office. "That is not my party office. During the elections I had categorically told those associated with it to use neither the party's name nor its flag," said Hakim. In the office is a cabin created by a glass partition that only "seniors" can enter. Recliners surround a large table inside. The air-conditioner is installed between huge portraits of Mamata Banerjee and Rabindranath Tagore on a wall. The gym only has a green carpet now. "We have ordered brand new equipment. The gymnasium should be ready soon," said Sarkar proudly. Hyde Road The 300sq ft office of the South Calcutta District Trinamul Trade Union Congress at Jain Kunj, too, stands on a plot belonging to Calcutta Port Trust. Posters of Mamata have been put up on every wall of the structure, which has been painted in the Trinamul colours. The main gate also has a poster of the chief minister that is visible to those outside when the office is closed. The photographs inside include one of Meghnath Poddar, the president of the south Calcutta district unit of the trade union and a patron of the office. He told Metro that he had written to the port trust to transfer the plot to him. Local MLA Hakim refused to comment on the encroachment. "The office belongs to Inttuc. I cannot comment on it," he said. Phoolbagan A 50sq ft Trinamul office, an adjacent concrete waiting area and a raised platform to hoist the party flag encroach about a 100ft-long stretch of the footpath in a lane opposite Pantaloons. Pedestrians have no option but to walk along the road while crossing the stretch. Gobindo Ghosh, who is in charge of the party office, said the local residents had "urged" them to build the structure. "The common people need a party office," he said but failed to explain why. In the office, a picture of Mamata Banerjee on a freshly painted green wall looks down on a carom board. Beside the portrait is a television set on a wooden plank. "The party office has made it difficult for us to use the footpath. Often scores of youths gather outside the party office, inconveniencing us," said a resident of the area. Prince Anwar Shah Road At Baidya Para too, the party office eats up a footpath. The councillor of ward 105, Tarun Mondol, meets people here every Saturday. Outside the structure is a large poster of the party chief. A small patch of the pavement outside the main gate has potted plans. On the edge of the footpath, there are two platforms, on one of which a Trinamul flag has been planted. Debashish Sarkar, a Trinamul member in charge of the party office, refused to open it for Metro. Councillor Mondol said he needed the office. "Where else do you expect me to meet the people who have voted for me?" he asked. Netaji Nagar Arch-rivals CPM and Trinamul have been united by the encroachment cause here. Two shacks of about 50sq ft each serve as the parties' offices in the middle of the EM Bypass, opposite Netaji Sporting Club. "When these offices came up, there were other encroachments in the area. Those have since been removed but the party offices have not been touched," said a resident of the area. While the office of the ward 108 unit of Trinamul is only a year old, the CPM one dates back five years. When Metro visited the offices, 10 people were watching television inside the shack painted green while a lone comrade sat outside the other party office. The widening of the EM Bypass — progressing at a snail's pace because of encroachment among other reasons — has not affected the party offices. "The CMDA cannot just go and demolish the party offices. There could be a backlash. The senior leaders of both parties will have to convince their workers to remove the two structures," said an official of the CMDA, which is supervising the widening of the EM Bypass. Local MLA Javed Ahmed Khan pleaded ignorance. "If such a party office exists within my Assembly segment, I will get it removed," he said. Do you know of a road-hog party office? Tell ttmetro@abpmail.com

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