Samik Bhattacharya urges Kolkata civic body to prioritise road repairs ahead of Durga Puja

MP, Oct 3, 2026, Kolkata: BJP state president and Rajya Sabha MP Samik Bhattacharya raised concerns regarding the poor condition of Kolkata’s roads and the overwhelming proliferation of commercial hoardings ahead of the Durga Puja festival. 

During an interaction with Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) Commissioner Smita Pandey, Bhattacharya highlighted that the city’s key thoroughfares are filled with dangerous potholes following recent rains.

He explicitly pointed out that addressing these battered roads was an urgent necessity for the safety of citizens and visitors, rather than allowing the city to be covered in “visual pollution” caused by excessive festive banners and billboards.

Bhattacharya noted that repairing the city’s cratered roads must be the “top priority” for the municipal administration before Durga Puja begins.

He also criticised the uncontrolled surge of massive advertisements across Kolkata.

Emphasising a neutral administrative stance, he remarked that political regimes may change, but the bureaucrats and municipal officials hold the ultimate responsibility to maintain the city’s infrastructure and ensure public safety.

Meanwhile, Bhattacharya reiterated his demand for a Padma award for Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, crediting him for an election in West Bengal that he claimed saw no bloodshed.

Regarding CJP’s protest against Kumar, Bhattacharya at Kolkata airport said: “Let them protest. The right to protest is part of a democratic system and the Constitution of India gives them that right.”