| Nothing has been announced officially till now but it is | | | | start the process of phasing out little earlier? |
| almost confirmed that Ranjit Kundu, the MLA from | | | | There’s no answer. All of a sudden, the |
| Naihati of North 24 Parganas is going to step in to | | | | government passed an order to get all auto |
| the shoes of Subhas Chakraborty, whose sad demise | | | | rickshaws converted into LPG from diesel but it |
| created an irrepairable damage to the CPI-M. As per | | | | didn’t without creating the required |
| news from various sources, Kundu is going to take | | | | infrastructure. The number of LPG refueling stations |
| the charge of the transport department of West | | | | is quite few compared to the total number of auto |
| Bengal government, which Subhas was in charge of. | | | | rickshaws traveling on road. So where will the auto |
| A tough challenge for Kundu certainly, specially | | | | drivers take their vehicles to refuel when their tanks |
| because it is his debut in the ministry. Besides, he is | | | | get empty. There’s no answer once again. |
| taking the charge of the transport department when | | | | The protesting bodies are awaiting Supreme |
| it is going through the most crucial phase. Calcutta | | | | Court’s verdict on the issue, which till now |
| High Court’s order to phase out all vehicles | | | | hasn’t put a stay order on High Court’s |
| that are more than 15-year old has put the transport | | | | judgment. It is quite unlikely that the apex court will |
| department in a very uncomfortable situation. The | | | | go against the Calcutta High Court and when it |
| city has already witnessed a transport strike that has | | | | announces its order, handling situation will become |
| been called by different bus taxi and auto syndicates | | | | even more difficult for the state government, and |
| in protest of this order and till today the citizens are | | | | specially for Kundu, the new face in the state |
| facing tremendous transportation problems as the | | | | cabinet. Subhas Chakraborty wad a veteran politician |
| number of private buses and autos have gone down | | | | who was in charge of the transport department for |
| drastically. | | | | quite some time and had the experience of handling |
| It’s true that state government’s | | | | critical situations. But even he didn’t face |
| hands are tied now. It cannot disobey the order of | | | | something which Ranjit Kundu is likely to face very |
| the Calcutta High Court but the reason people are | | | | shortly. It is like a short-pitched delivery to a |
| blaming it didn’t take any step earlier. It was | | | | tail-ender and a hard acid test for a politician who |
| quite obvious that the High Court will give such an | | | | doesn’t have much experience of handling the |
| order. Then why didn’t the state government | | | | ‘public’. |