The District Magistrate of Purulia, Sudhir Kontham, has directed the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) of Purulia Sadar, Tapan Kumar Ghosh, to investigate the alleged irregularities raised by a section of local residents regarding civic amenities provided by Purulia Municipality, and to submit a report to him.
Sources said that today SDM Ghosh visited the municipal office and commenced the investigation. Earlier, the urban development and municipal affairs department had issued a show-cause notice to Purulia Municipality asking why it should not be dissolved, granting seven days to respond.
After receiving the SDM’s report, the District Magistrate of Purulia will forward it to the state municipal affairs and urban development department, sources said.
The councillors of Purulia Municipality failed to respond within the stipulated time. Nabendu Mahali, the chairman of Purulia Municipality, stated that he would directly send a reply to the show-cause notice to the state urban development and municipal affairs department.
Meanwhile, the municipal affairs and urban development department has instructed the Purulia District Magistrate to probe the issues and submit a detailed report.
In the 2022 civic polls, the TMC had won 17 seats, the BJP three, the Congress one, and two were won by independents. Later, the lone Congress councillor and the two independents joined the TMC.
Earlier this month, several residents of Purulia town sent a joint petition to the state urban development and municipal affairs department, stating that they were being denied basic civic amenities, including regular sewer cleaning, consistent drinking water supply, daily solid waste disposal, maintenance of pothole-ridden roads, and functioning streetlights in several areas.
Following this, the state municipal affairs and urban development department issued a show-cause notice to the TMC-run civic body, asking why it should not be dissolved for non-performance.
Jyotirmoy Singh Mahato, Purulia MP and BJP leader, said that the ruling party would be wiped out in Purulia in next year’s polls and, out of fear, was attempting to dissolve its own elected civic board. “We are keeping a close watch on the situation and will wait for the submission of the SDM’s report to the DM before deciding our next course of action,” he added.
This unprecedented move to consider dissolving a three-year-old civic board—one run by the ruling party—barely six months before the Assembly elections, has created a major political stir in the state. Such a situation has never occurred before in the state’s history.