Kolkata, Oct 6: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee formed an advisory committee Friday comprising the six union ministers who quit the UPA government to guide development in West Bengal.
The seven-member advisory committee on economic and social development includes former railway minister Dinesh Trivedi, who was sacked by Trinamool Congress supremo Banerjee for hiking train fares.
The decision comes days after railway minister Mukul Roy along with five union ministers of state - Sultan Ahmed (tourism), Saugato Roy (urban development), Sudip Bandopadhaya (health), C.M. Jatua (information and broadcasting) and Sisir Adhikari (rural development) - resigned from the union government after the Trinamool Congress withdrew from the UPA government at the centre over retail FDI and diesel price hike.
All these former ministers comprise the committee.
According to sources in the chief minister's office, Mukul Roy will look into state transport, Saugato Roy will look into industry and Information technology, Adhikari will oversee village panchayats, Jatua will look after development of the Sunderbans, Bandopadhyay will look into urban development and Ahmed will look after minority development.
"We are very happy that such an advisory committee has been formed. I am delighted that I will get support from Mukul Roy for the development of the transport system across the state," said Madan Mitra, state transport minister.
When asked whether the committee will create confusion as all departments have full-time ministers, Adhikari said: "There is no question of confusion. Every department is headed by efficient ministers. We will give them expert advice, which we have gained during our tenure in union ministry."
