In a significant administrative intervention, the West Bengal government has taken the drastic step of dissolving the elected municipal board of Basirhat. The decision, executed by the state's urban development and municipal affairs department, comes after a prolonged period of alleged civic mismanagement and public grievances reaching a breaking point.
Inquiry Reveals Systemic Failure
The state department ordered a formal inquiry following numerous complaints from frustrated residents about the collapse of essential civic services. According to official sources, the inquiry committee did not receive any satisfactory explanation from the municipal authorities regarding the charges of gross mismanagement. The situation reportedly showed no signs of improvement despite the department issuing repeated notices to the board, ultimately forcing the government's hand.
An official familiar with the matter stated that internal conflicts among the councillors had effectively paralyzed all developmental work in the municipality for a long time. This political deadlock left a plethora of public grievances completely unresolved, prompting citizens to write directly to higher authorities seeking intervention.
Administrator Takes Charge, Political Composition Scrapped
With the dissolution of the 23-ward municipal board, the state government has appointed Basirhat Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO) Jasleen Kaur as the administrator to run the civic body. She will now assume all powers previously held by the elected representatives.
The now-dissolved board was dominated by the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC), which held 21 of the 23 councillor positions. The remaining two seats were held by one councillor each from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Indian National Congress. The department's letter officially withdrawing the board's powers was sent to the SDO's office on Friday evening and was subsequently forwarded to all the councillors.
Reactions and the Path Forward
While outgoing vice-chairman Subir Sarkar confirmed receiving the communication, the board's chairperson, Aditi Mitra, expressed surprise, stating she was unaware of the reasons behind the government's extreme step. This move underscores a growing impatience with underperforming local bodies and sets a precedent for direct state intervention when elected civic bodies fail to fulfill their basic mandates to citizens.
The focus now shifts to Administrator Jasleen Kaur, who faces the immediate challenge of restarting stalled development projects and addressing the long-pending civic issues that led to this unprecedented administrative takeover in Basirhat.
