Focus on monsoon: BMC administrator charts out plans for Salt Lake

Kolkata: The Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation (BMC) civic board has been dissolved with the commissioner being appointed as the administrator of the civic body. The authorities are now working round-the-clock to ensure uninterrupted civic services with primary focus on the monsoon preparedness.

With the councillors no longer available for citizens to get in touch for any kind of civic service, the authorities have come up with a toll-free grievance cell number — 6292234126 — for residents to call round-the-clock for any civic assistance.

“The number along with name and contact number of the ward supervisor and assistant of all the 41 wards have been pasted on the walls of respective ward offices. The number will be active round-the-clock and a team will be deployed 24 hours to address any urgent issues,” said a civic official.

The civic authorities are trying to develop technology interventions to come up with applications or systems so that citizens can raise issues on civic amenities, “This will take some time. The BMC headquarters office is always open where citizens can come for any civic issue,” said an official.

Road-repair and maintenance is a challenge for the civic authorities. “We are trying to repair as many road stretches as possible on priority basis. The KMDA will also be involved,” said a civic official.

The authorities are working with primary focus on the upcoming monsoon. “We want to ensure that the electric feeder boxes are safe to prevent electrocution during monsoon. Prevention of waterlogging is another area which the civic body is working upon. Extensive cleaning drive of gully pits is on. Civic teams are being mobilised from early morning and senior officials from the borough level are also on the field from 6 am to 2 pm to ensure that gully pits and drainage lines are cleaned,” said an official.

Officials said that the civic body was focusing on segregation of waste and was taking up a plastic ban campaign. “A campaign is underway saying that plastic should not be used,” said an official.

The BMC civic board was dissolved on Saturday with commissioner Ravi Agarwal taking over as administrator with immediate effect of the 11-year-old civic body that was formed in 2015. The development came two days after Krishna Chakraborty resigned as mayor.

As per the order that was issued by additional chief secretary Khalil Ahmed, Agarwal has been appointed as administrator for a period not exceeding six months or until the newly elected councillors take charge, whichever earlier.

Bidhannagar MLA Sharadwat Mukherjee said he was coordinating with the BMC commissioner who has now been appointed as administrator to monitor civic services. “I will be helping the administrator with all my resources. Providing uninterrupted civic services, specially with the monsoon ahead, is the top priority,” Mukherjee said.

BMC has been going through a crisis situation since the formation of the new BJP govt, with several of its councillors caught up in legal battles. Four of the civic body’s 41 councillors had been arrested on different charges and some have moved court seeking interim protection.