Kalyani, 03 January (H.S.): The Gayeshpur Municipality board in Nadia district has been dissolved following a series of serious complaints against its chairman, triggering strong reactions even from councillors of the ruling party. The state government has appointed an administrator to run the civic body, with Deputy Magistrate Ravishankar Gupta taking charge with immediate effect. The decision was implemented on Friday evening.
The move comes amid allegations of rampant corruption, poor civic services and arbitrary decision-making without holding board meetings. Political circles believe the action reflects the ruling party’s attempt to project a clean image ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections, taking a firm stand against alleged corruption within its own ranks.
Gayeshpur Municipality, a Trinamool Congress-run body with no opposition presence, has 18 councillors. Of them, 11 councillors had repeatedly raised objections against Chairman Sukanta Chattopadhyay, accusing him of misgovernance and financial irregularities. The allegations included misuse of municipal funds, disruption of essential civic services and running the municipality unilaterally without consulting the board.
Councillors also alleged that municipal accounts for the 2023–24 and 2024–25 financial years were neither audited nor properly accounted for, and that funds were spent arbitrarily. These concerns were conveyed multiple times to the party’s senior leadership.
Recently, the dissenting councillors formally sought the removal of the chairman. After reviewing the complaints, the State Municipal Affairs and Urban Development Department issued a show-cause notice to the entire municipal board on December 16. Chairman Sukanta Chattopadhyay submitted his reply within the stipulated 7-day period, but the department reportedly found the explanation unsatisfactory.
As a result, the state government decided to dissolve the Gayeshpur Municipality board and place it under administrative control until further arrangements are made. With the appointment of an administrator, all municipal functions will now be overseen directly by the administration.
The development has sparked wide political discussion in the district, as action against a leader of an opposition-free civic body is being seen as a rare and significant step in the state’s political landscape.
Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh