MAKING OF A MINISTER

Wind of change makes ex-FB MP a minister

Former Forward Bloc MP (Lok Sabha) Mr Hiten Barman staged his comeback by riding the 'wind of change'. He not only became a MLA but has been included in the new state cabinet of Congress-Trinamul Congress alliance under the new chief minister Miss Mamata Banerjee. A large section of Trinamul leaders and supporters from Cooch Behar district conveyed greetings to him after the swearing in ceremony on Friday. Vice-president of the party's district unit and also the district unit president of Trinamul Congress Shiksha Cell, Mr Niranjan Dutta hoped that Mr Barman may be able to cater the needed development to the still neglected district.

Mr Hiten Barman was the president of the district Forward Bloc. He was elected to the Lok Sabha in 2004 election as a FB candidate. But, in 2009 his party denied to make him a candidate again and then the aggrieved leader left the party. Later, he joined the Trinamul Congress and became a vice-president of the party. He is also the North Bengal unit convener of the SC/ST Cell of the Trinamul Congress.

Mr Barman entered politics when he was a student at Ananda Chandra College in Jalpaiguri in 1972. He was an active member of the Students' Bloc. Later he joined the Forward Bloc. Son of a peasant family Mr Barman became the saha-sabhapati of Mathabhanga Panchayat Samiti in the three-tier panchayat election in 1978. In 1996 Lok Sabha election, he contested as a candidate of the Socialist Forward Bloc led by late Kamal Guha.  That time he was defeated but he was elected in the Lok Sabha election in 2004 as a candidate of the Forward Bloc. 

Cooch Behar Traders' appeal to Mamata

Cooch Behar District Merchants Chamber of Commerce greeted Miss Mamata Banerjee for her success. In a letter conveyed to her on Friday the secretary of the CBDMCC Mr Rajendra Baid hoped that a neglected district like Cooch Behar may go ahead along the path of development under her able leadership.

In his letter Mr Baid wrote that Cooch Behar Airport has been dormant since 1995. He asked the new chief minister to intervene to revive the air service through the airport. He also requested her to consider setting up a medical college and an engineering college in Cooch Behar. Steps to generate employment are also needed as many people go out to outer provinces to seek jobs, he added.