The West Bengal government took action on Monday by dissolving the Trinamool Congress-run board of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) and appointing the current KMC Commissioner, Smita Pandey, as the administrator.
This decision was made under Sub-Section (I) of Section 117 of the KMC Act, 1980, as per a notification issued by the state municipal affairs department. Consequently, all members of the corporation, the Mayor-in-Council (MMIC) members, and any committees under the Act, including the Mayor and the Chairman, are required to vacate their positions.
Following the dissolution of the board, all powers and duties will be carried out under the guidance of the state government by individuals appointed by the government. Last week, Firhad Hakim, the former Mayor of KMC and ex-West Bengal Minister, resigned from his post, leading to a legal dispute between the state municipal affairs department and the former KMC Chairperson, Mala Roy.
The state government supported the dissolution under Section 117 (I) of the KMC Act, while Roy referenced Section 28 of the same Act, advocating for the Deputy Mayor to oversee operations until a new Mayor is elected from existing councillors. The state government officially announced the dissolution of the Trinamool Congress board on Monday and appointed Pandey as the administrator for a maximum of six months or until new councillors are elected.
