Impasse over hill civic body floor test: Of the three petitions, one petition has been disposed of and two are pending as opposite parties have sought time- SDO

BGPM have been planning to call meeting on their own to conduct floor test in a day or two

Darjeeling municipality headquarters: File picture

Vivek Chhetri   |   TT  |  Darjeeling   |  21.12.22 : The Darjeeling municipality has refused to conduct a floor test on the grounds that the civic chairman’s plea for the disqualification of some councillors is pending.

The municipality’s reply to a request for a floor test — made nearly a month back — comes at a time when councillors of Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha (BGPM) have been planning to call a meeting on their own to conduct a floor test in a day or two.

BGPM councillors made a requisition of an extraordinary special meeting to municipality chairman Ritesh Portel on November 24 and followed it up with another request to Portel’s deputy Yanzi Sherpa on December 13.

“The said letter seeking requisition of a special meeting is completely illegal as per the provisions of the West Bengal Municipal Laws and therefore has no legal validity,” Sherpa stated.

“Furthermore, I would like to apprise you that petitions praying for the disqualification of some of the sitting councillors, including the councillors who have sought this requisition, have been filed by the chairman, Darjeeling municipality, and are now pending before the competent authority and these petitions are yet to be disposed of. In short, the matter is sub judice so the question of holding the extraordinary special meeting... does not and cannot arise,” the vice chairperson further added.

Darjeeling civic chairman Portel had on December 5 sought the disqualification of five councillors which included four who defected from Hamro Party to BGPM along with a Trinamul councillor.

The three petitions seeking disqualification included one against four former Hamro Party councillors for their joining a new political party after six months of the board formation, one against a Hamro Party councillor for “stalking” a councillor and party colleague with a bribe attempt, and one against a Trinamul councillor for an alleged illegal construction.

Darjeeling SDO Dulen Roy said: “Of the three petitions, one petition has been disposed of and two are pending as opposite parties have sought time.”

The petition disposed of pertains to a complaint against Trinamul councilor, Ganesh Sarki, for his alleged involvement in illegal construction.

The BGPM has claimed the support of 16 councillors out of the house strength of 31. The house is presently under the Hamro Party. The BGPM also claims the issue of disqualification cannot be clubbed with the floor test issue.

“Following this new development, the matter might reach court,” said an observer.