Cong petition on Paul stay - Mayor Gangotri moves high court challenging order

TT, Siliguri, June 27: Darjeeling district Congress leaders today filed a writ petition in Calcutta High Court against the stay order issued by B.P. Gopalika on Nantu Paul’s disqualification as Siliguri Municipal Corporation councillor.

On June 24, Gopalika, the secretary of state municipal affairs department and the appellate authority appointed by the state, issued the stay on another order by A.K. Singh disqualifying Paul as councillor.

Singh is the divisional commissioner of Jalpaiguri and was the competent authority appointed by the state.

“The competent authority had issued an order disqualifying Paul as councillor. He (Paul) moved to the appellate authority, which ordered a stay on the earlier order. We are dissatisfied with the stay order and have filed a writ petition in Calcutta High Court today,” SMC mayor Gangotri Datta said over the phone from Calcutta today.

“Being the leader of Congress councillors in the SMC, I have filed the petition. It would be heard on Wednesday,” she added.

According to Congress sources, the writ petition has been filed because in Gopalika’s stay order, there was no mention of any reason for issuing the order and it was done without any hearing of the mayor or anyone representing the other side.

“By filing the writ petition today, the Congress has proved that it is keen on creating fresh complications in the SMC. The mayor and her party colleagues are least bothered about the dwindling civic services and lack even minimum commitment towards the people of Siliguri,” said Krishna Paul, a Trinamul councillor and the party secretary general of Darjeeling district.

Nantu Paul, who is back as SMC chairman since yesterday, today wrote a letter to civic commissioner P.D. Pradhan mentioning the budget meeting notice that was served at the civic body in his absence.

“I have sent a letter to the commissioner mentioning that without my assent no such notice can be served. The meeting on budget cannot be held like that as the budget was placed before the board earlier. If such a meeting has to be convened, the civic body needs a consent from the state government,” Paul said.

Congress leaders today said the chance of holding the budget meeting was bleak.

“It is unlikely that the budget meeting would be held. It is not possible to obtain the consent of the state in such a short notice as only four days are left before the first day of the meeting, which was planned on July 2,” a senior Congress councillor said.

The second meeting was supposed to be held on June 4.