Firhad Hakim resigns from Kolkata Municipality Corporation Board

By Team Newsable | First Published Mar 22, 2021, 12:51 PM IST

West Bengal minister Firhad Hakim on Monday (March 22) resigned from his post as the Chairman of Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) after Election Commission’s order for the upcoming Assembly polls. Other political leaders in the Calcutta Municipal Council also resigned on the same day.

The commission on Saturday (March 20) ruled that former mayors or elected representatives appointed by the government as administrators in expired municipalities and municipal corporations would not be allowed to hold office during the Assembly polls.

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Firhad Hakim said, “The committee headed by the chief secretary is deciding on the appointment of the administrator. We resigned on Monday. This time, the chief secretary will appoint a new administrator and publish the executive order.”

The Election Commission said, “Temporarily restrain such political appointees, holding office of Administrators/Head of Board of Administrators in Municipal Corporations of WB on appointment basis after the end of their term, from exercising functions of Board while the Model Code of Conduct is in force.”

Almost all the 27 municipalities of North 24 Parganas are in the hands of the Governing Body. The commission has asked for a new administrator to be appointed there. District Magistrate Sumit Gupta said on Sunday (March 21) night that he had not received any instructions to appoint new administrators in the municipalities.

Gobardanga city administrator Subhash Dutt said, "I am mentally ready. I will hand over the responsibility when the order comes.” A few other municipal administrators of the district said that they also did not get the order to hand over the responsibility.

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Dipendra Narayan Roy, deputy administrator of Tamluk in East Midnapore, said, “The guidelines have come. But the administrative process has not started.” Kanthi city administrator Siddhartha MaitY said he had not received any instructions. The same was said by the city administrator of Egra.

The West Bengal Assembly Elections 2021 will be held in 8 phases from March 27 while the final phase will be held on April 29. The counting of votes will take place on May 2.

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