Alleged Night Watchman's Dual Role Sparks Controversy in Alipurduar Municipality

Damini Saha, Alipurduar: She is the night watchman of Alipurduar Municipality. The duty is to ensure the security of the municipality building at night. She also draws a regular salary every month from the government treasury for this work. But it is alleged that the workers have never seen her in the municipality at night. Instead, she is seen in an active role in the neighborhood tea shop, at the Trinamool party office, or at various party meetings and marches. Government jobs are one place, activism is another - this dual role of Sintu Kar is now active in the municipality. According to municipal sources, at present, three Group-D workers perform security duties for 8 hours in three shifts. 6 am to 2 pm, 2 pm to 10 pm, and 10 pm to 6 am. A casual worker also accompanies a permanent worker in the night shift. Allegedly, if the night shift is far away, no active TMC member is seen in the municipality's register at the end of the day. The night guard also ends up in the municipality's register.