The Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation (BMC) civic board was dissolved on Saturday, and municipal commissioner Ravi Agarwal assumed the role of administrator. This development comes amidst indications that the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) will also receive an administrator next week to manage the civic body following the resignation of Mayor Firhad Hakim on Friday.
BMC Administrator Appointed
Bidhannagar MLA Sharadwat Mukherjee confirmed to the Times of India on Saturday evening that BMC commissioner Ravi Agarwal is now the administrator of the civic body. Additional Chief Secretary Khalil Ahmed issued the order for the BMC administrator, announcing the dissolution of the civic board with immediate effect under Subsection (1) of Section 60 of the West Bengal Municipal Corporation Act, 2006. The appointment of the BMC commissioner as administrator is valid for a period not exceeding six months or until new councillors are elected, whichever is earlier.
Background of BMC
The Trinamool-run BMC was established in 2015 when the earlier Bidhannagar municipality was upgraded to a municipal corporation. The previous Rajarhat Gopalpur municipality was dissolved, and that entire area was added to Salt Lake to form the BMC civic body.
BMC has been facing a crisis ever since the BJP formed the new government in Bengal. Four out of its 41 councillors have been arrested on various charges, including extortion and intimidation. Apprehensive, a few other councillors have moved court seeking interim protection against arrest. Amid such a situation, Krishna Chakraborty resigned from the BMC mayor's post on Thursday, citing personal reasons. Chakraborty later stated that with most of the functioning of the civic body being stalled, she could not carry out daily work properly. She expressed that it was becoming increasingly difficult to provide civic services under the changed circumstances and that she did not feel comfortable continuing as mayor.
KMC Administrator Likely
At KMC, the Mayor-in-Council automatically dissolved after Hakim's resignation from the mayor's post. An administrator is likely to be appointed to take charge of the civic body's functioning until civic elections are held.
According to a KMC official, after Hakim's resignation, Municipal Commissioner Smita Pandey held marathon meetings with KMC officials, especially senior legal officers, to devise a formula to keep the civic body running in the absence of the mayor. Though in the absence of a mayor, the deputy mayor can take charge temporarily, the state administration's mood suggests an administrator is likely to take charge of KMC early next week, said the official on Saturday.
Another KMC official noted that with monsoon approaching, the state is likely to act swiftly in appointing an administrator for KMC, and Pandey could be assigned the role. A letter from the state municipal affairs department to the KMC municipal commissioner on Friday fueled speculation about the appointment of an administrator, said an official. However, a Trinamool functionary said that the party still holds a majority in KMC, and if the central leadership decides, they could field a new mayor to replace the outgoing one.
