Panihati civic head asked to step down; Trouble over ‘building plan’ on playground
Telegraph | 13 March 2025
The state’s urban development and municipal affairs minister has asked the chairperson of Panihati Municipality to step down over allegations of a plan to set up a real estate project on a popular playground in Panihati that came to the fore a few days ago.
Earlier this year, a society that owns the 27-acre plot, known as Amarabati Ground, had written to the municipality expressing its wish to undertake real estate projects at the site, said Malay Roy, the outgoing chairperson of Panihati Municipality.
On Tuesday, Roy told Metro that urban development minister Firhad Hakim had called and asked him to quit. “Hakim told me that chief minister (Mamata Banerjee) wants me to step down. I will do so,” he said. “I will submit my resignation to the minister,” he said on Tuesday evening.
The ground at the Amarabati crossing in Panihati is where the Panihati Utsab is held. It has been used as a playground by residents for years.
State government officials told this newspaper that the ground is owned by a “registered society” that works for distressed children. When word about a plan to undertake real estate projects spread, the government asked the North 24-Parganas district administration to look into the matter.
“The society was allowed to hold on to such a large tract of land only because it was set up for charitable purposes, but by expressing its desire for real estate projects on the land, it violated the conditions for which it was allowed the ownership of such large tract of land,” said the official.
According to government sources, the urban land ceiling act does not allow any organisation or individual to hold land over 500sqm or 0.123 acres in urban areas.
Roy told this newspaper that the society wrote to the municipality expressing its desire to set up real estate projects there. “The land has been encroached upon. There are 350 unauthorised shops on the ground. Besides, buses and cars remain parked on the ground overnight. The society wanted to reclaim the land,” said Roy. “They were also willing to build a 600-bed hospital, a community hall and a sports complex there.”
“The municipality did not take any decision. We merely said these needs discussion. I have been framed by some people who misrepresented the developments. There was no plan to sell off the land,” said Roy.
He told news channels earlier in the day that people within the party were behind the conspiracy against him. “How can I say that here? It is our party’s internal matter,” he said after being asked about conspirators.
On Tuesday, a senior leader of the Trinamool Congress said Roy was removed not because he was involved in corruption but because he lacked a grip over local party leaders.
“A municipality’s chairperson should have control over the councillors and party workers, but Roy had lost that control. He is not a corrupt man,” said the party leader.
“The party has decided that he should step down as the chairperson. I have communicated the party’s wish to him,” Hakim told Metro on Tuesday.