Raising a point of order after Question Hour in the House, CPI(M) member Anisur Rahaman wondered why the Chief Minister was not apprising the House about the developments of the GTA.
Opposition members shouted slogans and rushed to the Speaker's desk demanding an assurance on when the Chief Minister would give a statement on the new hill council in Darjeeling.
Speaker Biman Banerjee said he would be able to inform members after discussing the matter with Parliamentary Affairs Minister Partha Chatterjee.
This prompted Left Front members to walk out.
Later, Rahaman told a press conference that the Chief Minister was deliberately avoiding the House and keeping the members in the dark about developments on the GTA.
Rahaman also questioned the utility of setting up a panel to ascertain the findings of Shyamal Sen Committee and wondered how an IAS officer could review its report since it was given by a retired Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court who was also chairman of the West Bengal Human Rights Commission.
Another senior member Prabodh Sinha, leader of Left Front constituent DSP, said notification on delimitation of the GTA had taken place while the House was in session, but members were kept in the dark.
RSP leader Subhash Naskar threatened to launch a movement if the Chief Minister continued to keep members in the dark.
The Speaker later discussed the issue with opposition members as well as Parliamentary Affairs Minister Partha Chatterjee.
He could not assure members when the Chief Minister would give a statement on GTA, but said she would be present in the House tomorrow.
