'Abhishek Banerjee Big Leader Now': Ex-Bengal CM's Sister-in-law Ira Basu

Former West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee’s sister-in-law Ira Basu, who was recently found living on pavements, has praised Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee for sending representatives to the hospital and assuring her that the state government will look into her monthly pension as well. Basu, a retired government school teacher, was shifted to a mental hospital last week and then to a rented home in Khardah city of North 24 Parganas.

The 72-year-old said that TMC MP’s people took all the information from her about the pension and assured her of solving the problem quickly. “Abhishek Banerjee is a very big leader now. When he says [that], I will get a pension,” she said.

Basu is the sister of Bhattacherjee’s wife, Mira, and had worked as a biology teacher for more than 30 years at Priyanath Girls High School in Khardah before retiring in 2009. Despite being eligible for a monthly pension, she never made a claim.

After living homeless for several years, the 72-year-old does want to have a normal life now. Basu, however, doesn’t want to be dependent on anyone. Even while she was living on the pavement in Kolkata, she used to bear her expenses from the provident fund savings.

Basu claimed that she has a house after her name in the Salt Lake area, but does not want to go back. The 72-year-old said she received several death threats during her stay at Salt Lake home, and had to leave from there to live on pavements.

She recently made a political statement by saying that she does not consider Prime Minister Narendra Modi a corrupt politician. “I have immense respect for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and do not think he indulges in corruption,” she was quoted as saying by India Today.