West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar on Friday termed the developments at Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) as very disturbing.
In response to a petition filed in the Calcutta High Court over the Mayor of KMC being appointed as Board of Administrator (BOA) of KMC, Justice Talukdar on Thursday directed the newly BOA to act as caretaker BOA for four weeks. On May 6, Firhad Hakim was appointed as the chairperson of the BOA with effect from May 8 till the first meeting of the Corporation is held after the election.
"Developments at Kolkata Municipal Corporation are very disturbing. I sought information from Chief Secretary, but he did not make available notification which was circulated on social media," Dhankhar said.
"To put the same people in the same position by different nomenclature using administrative authority with no statute backing is an affront to the Indian Constitution," he added.
According to the council of the petitioner, "The Chairman of the BOA, who is the Mayor as on today of the KMC, cannot appoint himself to the BOA as its Chairman by invoking powers in the name of the Governor as Minister of the Department of Urban Development and Municipal affairs."
The petitioner had filed the petition saying that the power has been exercised in abuse of jurisdiction by invoking section 634 of the KMC Act (as amended).
The first meeting of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation, after the last general election to the civic body, was held on May 8, 2015, and the five-year term of the office of Councillors will expire on May 7.
( With inputs from ANI )