A day after Municipal Commissioner Smita Pandey cancelled the scheduled session of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC), Trinamool Congress (TMC) councillors led by KMC Chairperson Mala Roy held a ‘protest session’ at the Councillors’ club room in the KMC headquarters on Friday.
According to KMC sources, Pandey expressed her displeasure at allegedly not being informed about the session and replaced KMC secretary Swapan Kumar Kundu with Kishore Kumar Biswas, who was previously the deputy secretary of Bardhaman Zila Parishad.
Reacting to the development, Roy said, “Everything was done without informing me about the cancellation of the session. It is compulsory to hold a session once a month. Otherwise, a constitutional crisis will arise. If necessary, I will talk to the municipal minister. I will send a letter.”
Roy later lodged a complaint at New Market Police station stating, “Today being 22nd May, only nine days remain before the expiry of the current month and yet no lawful steps have been undertaken for convening the mandatory meeting of the Corporation in accordance with the statutory mandate of Section 94. Thus, the 54th meeting was called on 22nd May, Friday which was deliberately postponed by the municipal secretary under the instruction of the Municipal commissioner citing unavoidable circumstances. Both the Municipal Secretary and the Municipal Commissioner are creating a grave constitutional and administrative crisis within the functioning of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation. The deliberate obstruction and procedural bypassing is a serious offence and is leading to crisis and hindrances in public services.”
“The conduct of the concerned officials amounts to interference with the democratic functioning of the elected municipal body and undermines the statutory authority vested in the Chairperson under the KMC Act, 1980. Such actions are arbitrary, procedurally improper, contrary to legislative intent and detrimental to the constitutional framework governing local duly elected and self governing institutions. Such conduct raises serious concerns,” she added.
Meanwhile, TMC chairperson Mamata Banerjee has called a meeting of KMC party councillors at her residence on Friday where the party supremo instructed Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim to organise a dharna at Esplanade on a suitable date, sources said.
Speaking about the KMC notice to Abhishek Banerjee’s house, she said that one can’t bulldoze any house without probing.
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After the meeting, Abhishek said, “First ask KMC to identify which portion of my house is illegal. Then I will answer.”
“The Municipal Commissioner, Smita Pandey, has cancelled the municipal session of KMC, which was scheduled today (Friday). At the same time, the municipal administration is operating on its own as per the instructions of the state government without any consultation with the mayor and members of the mayor-in-council. In such a situation, our supreme leader has convened a crucial meeting with all the party councillors later in the day to discuss ways to handle the changed situation,” said a TMC councillor who does not wish to be named.
The KMC recently served notices under Section 400(1) of the KMC Act, 1980, to 17 properties owned or co-owned by TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee. Copies of the notices have been pasted on the walls of such properties. Two residences of the Diamond Harbour MP, one at 188A Harish Mukherjee Road and the other at nearby 121 Kalighat Road, are also under the KMC scanner.
Atri Mitra is a highly accomplished Special Correspondent for The Indian Express, bringing over 20 years of experience to his reporting. His work is characterized by deep regional knowledge and a focus on critical administrative and political developments, establishing strong Expertise and Authority in his domain.
Experience
Current Role: Special Correspondent, The Indian Express.
Decades of Experience: Over two decades of extensive reporting experience, primarily covering administration and political news.
Geographical Focus: Holds significant reporting experience from West Bengal, Bihar, and the North-East, providing a comprehensive understanding of the socio-political landscape in these regions.
Key Coverage: Has dedicated more than ten years to covering administration and political news, with a keen focus on political developments in West Bengal.
Electoral Reporting: Demonstrated a commitment to crucial political moments, having covered the 2009 Lok Sabha election and 2010 assembly elections during his time at Anandabazar Patrika, and the 2019 Bihar Lok Sabha election while working with News18-Bangla.
Career Foundation: Began his career at the leading vernacular daily Anandabazar Patrika, where he worked for more than fifteen years, including a three-year stint as the Bihar correspondent.
Education
Advanced Degree: Holds a Master's degree in Economics from Rabindrabharati University, providing an analytical framework for his political and administrative reporting.
Undergraduate Education: Holds a Bachelor's degree from Calcutta University.
Prestigious Alumni: His educational background includes attending esteemed institutions: he is an alumnus of St. Xavier's, Kolkata and Ramakrishna Mission Asrama, Narendrapur.
Atri Mitra's decades of dedicated reporting, substantial focus on political and administrative beats, and solid academic credentials make him a trusted and authoritative source for news and analysis from Eastern and North-Eastern India. ... Read More
