Will accept post of chairman of BOA of SMC only if no TMC members in board: Bhattacharya

The West Bengal government has appointed the Mayor of Siliguri Municipal Corporation (SMC) Asok Bhattacharya as chairman of the board of administrators of the civic body as its term is slated to end on May 17. However, Bhattacharya on Saturday said he would take up the post of chairman of the board of administrators of SMC only if there are no opposition Trinamool Congress members in the board of administrators.

The veteran CPIM leader told PTI that for the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) the state government has formed the board of administrators with only ruling Trinamool Congress councillors, but the same yardstick has not been applied with regard to the formation of Siliguri Municipal Corporation. The state government on Friday issued a notification appointing a 12-member board of administrators for SMC with seven members from the Left parties, including chairman Asok Bhattacharya and five from the Trinamool Congress.

"I have expressed my inability to accept the post of Chairman of such a board having opposition members. It is inconsistent with the practice followed by the ruling dispensation in Kolkata Municipal Corporation and other civic boards where opposition councillors have not found berth," he said. "I will accept if there is fresh notification correcting this anomaly," he said.

In the first week of May, the West Bengal government appointed a board of administrators for running the KMC as the five-year term of the elected body was slated to expire on May 7. Mayor Firhad Hakim was made chairman of the board of administrators. The opposition Congress, BJP and Left had slammed the move.

Elections to several civic bodies of the state, including the SMC and KMC have been postponed because of the COVID-19 outbreak. Majority of the members of the SMC belong to the Left parties.

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