NOT SO SWEET
On November 7, West Bengal panchayat minister Pradip Majumdar finally got an appointment with the Union minister of rural development and panchayati raj Giriraj Singh after waiting for months. The purpose: to get funds released for the MNREGA 100 days’ work scheme, which the Centre had halted, citing “gross misappropriation”. Majumdar had gone with the choicest nolen-gur (winter jaggery) sweets and apparently Giriraj went gaga over them, even discussing the prospects of Bengal exporting jaggery. But on the release of funds, he begged off. No sweetener for Majumdar, it seems.