By Zaidul Haque, Twocircles.net
Kolkata: Chief Minister of West Bengal Mamata Banerjee today ordered a CBI enquiry of Waqf Property Scam in West Bengal. Ongoing session in WB Assembly today discussed Minority Affairs & Madrasa Education Budget. In that session MLA of Congress Abu Taher Khan demand a CBI enquiry of Waqf Scam in West Bengal during the Left Front rule. In her response to Abu Taher Khan CM of West Bengal Mamata Banerjee accepted his demand.
CPI(M) MLA & former Minister Abdur Razzak Molla also supported the demand for a CBI enquiry of Waqf Property Scam. After the Session this decision was also recommended in Cabinet Meeting later.
A number of Waqf property scam arising in 1996, when Jyoti Basu was Chief Minister of West Bengal. Basu appointed a one-man judicial commission headed by Justice Gitesh Ranjan Bhattacharya in March 1997. After nearly 5 years of investigation, an inquiry report was submitted on 31 Dec 2001 to the West Bengal government. The commission’s 1,355-page exposed of corruption prime Waqf property in West Bengal. Some property scam was lime- lighted, e.g. Shaw Wallace Building at 4&5, Banshall St., nearby Writers Building, the Secretariate of Govt of West Bengal; Royal Calcutta Golf Club; Tollygunge Club; 11,000-sq ft plot in Kolkata’s prime Shakespeare Sarani area etc.
There was also a suspicious spurt in Wakf transactions after the Left Front came to power in 1977. The Opposition claims the scandal involves over Rs 1,000 Cr and demanded CBI enquiry, but CM on that period Jyoti Basu did not agree.
Finally, newly –appointed CM of West Bengal & Minister in Charge of Minority Affairs & Madrasa Education Department Mamata Banerjeee has taken this historical decision. She also said in Assembly that, not only Waqf Scam, lot of money was mismanaged in West Bengal Minority Development & Finance Corporation during the Left Front governance.