Observers for 125 civic bodies to keep a tab on councillors

Mamata Banerjee has made it clear that she is planning to appoint officials at the civic bodies after receiving several complaints against them

Mamata Banerjee.: File photo

Subhasish Chaudhuri   |   TT  |  Madhyamgram   |  18.11.21: Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday directed the state urban development department to appoint observers for each of 125 municipalities and seven municipal corporations in Bengal to monitor performance of the elected representatives at the civic bodies and submit reports to the government on a regular basis.

“I would ask the urban development department to appoint observers at all civic bodies to monitor the performance of the councillors.... The observers will submit reports to the government,” said the chief minister during an administrative review meeting in North 24-Parganas’s Madhyamgram on Wednesday.

Mamata made it clear that she was planning to appoint the observers at the civic bodies after she had received several complaints against councillors.

“Those who perform will be rewarded, but for others, I have to think,” said the chief minister.

The announcement made by the chief minister holds significance as officials said she sent a message to her party’s councillors ahead of the civic polls.

“Soon elections will be held to Howrah and Calcutta municipal corporations and remaining 100-odd civic bodies would go to the polls after these two. Ahead of the polls, the chief minister made it clear that the councillors against whom people have grievances might not get ticket this time,” said an official.

Another official said Mamata’s decision also hinted that the government would henceforth keep an eye on the day-to-day activities of the civic bodies through the observers.

“This will force the civic bodies to work properly and people’s grievances would be redressed on time,” said a source.

A ruling party insider said the chief minister sent a message to Trinamul Congress workers, particularly the councillors, after complaints of irregularities were coming up against them.

He explained that the theory was applied ahead of Assembly elections when evaluation of all MLAs had been undertaken by I-PAC of Trinamul’s poll consultant Prashant Kishor and based on its recommendations, a number of sitting legislators were denied tickets.

“Now, the practice is being institutionalised.... The government would now appoint observers and the councillors would be under scanner throughout the year,” said the Trinamul insider.

Mamata outlined the responsibilities of the observers at the civic bodies.

“They (the observers) would visit civic areas to find out who is doing what... Where works are being done and where works are pending. They will find this out and send reports directly to Nabanna,” said the chief minister.

In a different initiative, Mamata asked district magistrates to appoint 10 nodal officers who would be picked from the corporate world as advisors in 30 departments to run schemes in a professional manner.