Look into holding polls in 3 municipalities in Hills: HC
Times of India | 13 September 2024
Kolkata: Calcutta High Court on Thursday directed the principal secretary, urban development and municipal affairs department, to consider a representation for holding elections in three north Bengal municipalities — Kurseong, Kalimpong and Mirik notified area — within six weeks.
The counsel for the petitioner moved the division bench of Chief Justice T S Sivagnanam and Justice Hiranmay Bhattacharyya, pointing out that polls were overdue for two-and-a-half years.The counsel submitted that elections were last held on May 14, 2017 and the five-year term of the municipal board ended in April 2022. The counsel cited notifications by state govt to initiate the poll pr-ocess on March 13, 2022 that got stalled for unknown reasons.
The counsel submitted the constitutional mandate (Article 243U) for holding elections to municipalities every five years and mentioned that the poll process should have been initiated six months before the expiration of term.
The CJ held that the grievance of the petitioner was “fully justified”, observing: “The state has not taken any action to hold elections.” There was no representation from the state. The CJ then directed the urban development and municipal affairs secretary to consider the representation sent to him on June 28 and take a “proper and legal” position within six weeks, in view of the constitutional mandate, the West Bengal Municipal Act, 1993 and relevant SC orders.