Former West Bengal Education Minister Partha Chatterjee, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with irregularities in recruitment in schools, has been assigned new responsibilities in the West Bengal Legislative Assembly, following a recent administrative reshuffle. He has been appointed as a member of the Assembly’s Library Committee and has also been included in the Standing Committee on Housing, Fire Services, and Disaster Management, Assembly sources confirmed.
Although Chatterjee is no longer a minister in the state government, he continues to serve as an elected member of the Legislative Assembly. As per Assembly rules, sitting ministers are generally not eligible to serve on standing committees of the House. Consequently, Chatterjee was not part of any such committee during his tenure as a minister.
Chatterjee was removed from his ministerial post after being arrested in connection with the recruitment scam case. However, with his ministerial responsibilities no longer in place, he has now been assigned committee roles, allowing him to participate in legislative and parliamentary functions as an MLA. Sources indicated that he has been included in multiple important committees as part of this restructuring.
Earlier, after securing bail in the corruption case, Chatterjee had expressed his desire to return to the Assembly and actively participate in parliamentary proceedings. He said that he wished to fulfil his duties as an elected representative. Within weeks of that statement, his inclusion in Assembly committees has drawn considerable political attention.
Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari launched a sharp attack after Partha Chatterjee’s apparent return to Assembly activities. He remarked, “The TMC might even field Partha Chatterjee in the upcoming West Bengal Assembly elections. There would be nothing surprising about that.”
Adhikari further alleged that the Trinamool Congress has a tendency to reward leaders who remain loyal to the party, even if they face corruption charges.
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