West Bengal to Introduce Law to Auction Properties of Corrupt Individuals, Says CM Adhikari
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari announced on Tuesday that his government will introduce a bill in the ongoing assembly session to confiscate and auction properties of individuals involved in corruption. Speaking during the debate on the Governor's address, Adhikari accused the previous Trinamool Congress government of widespread corruption and vowed to take strict action.
“Many people think they will remain in prison for two months and then get bail. But this time, we will confiscate and auction their property. We will bring a bill on the last day of the assembly session for this purpose,” Adhikari said.
The Chief Minister also took a dig at Trinamool Congress general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, who resides on Harish Chatterjee Street in Kolkata. “I will arrange to accommodate people living under flyovers in the palaces of Harish Chatterjee Street,” he remarked.
Adhikari alleged that during the previous government's tenure, ₹324 crore was irregularly given to the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry at a trade conference. He displayed documents in the assembly, calling it “just the tip of the iceberg.”
He announced the formation of a commission headed by former Calcutta High Court judge Biswajit Basu and IPS K Jayaraman to investigate alleged scams in schemes such as MGNREGA, housing, Jal Jeevan Mission, and Laxmi Bhandar. “The commission will file complaints, and those involved will have to face the consequences,” he said.
Adhikari also claimed that since the Bharatiya Janata Party came to power, about 10,000 Bangladeshi nationals have left the state, and 1,800 are in holding centres across 12 districts. He noted that his government has allocated 142.79 acres of land to the Border Security Force for border fencing, contrasting with the previous government's stance.
During his 45-minute speech, Adhikari recounted how the previous regime targeted him, including multiple suspensions from the assembly and over a hundred police cases, many of which were quashed by courts. He stated that he had to disclose 35 cases in his election affidavit.
Meanwhile, Trinamool Congress MLAs led by Ritabrata Banerjee staged a walkout during Adhikari's address after raising the issue of renaming Suhrawardy Avenue. The Chief Minister remarked on the division within the Trinamool Congress, noting that some legislators walked out while Mamata Banerjee loyalists remained seated. He urged the party to “set their house in order” and said the party will never recover from the split.
