Hooghly, 25 June (H.S.): A Facebook post by Serampore MLA and State Minister Bhaskar Bhattacharya has triggered widespread discussion in political circles on Thursday, with the minister openly questioning the performance of the Rishra and Serampore municipal administrations.

In his post, Bhattacharya addressed the chairpersons of both municipalities and stated that if they were unable to provide adequate civic services to residents, they should consider stepping down from their positions.

Clarifying his remarks, the minister said his intention was not to make a political statement but to draw attention to the need for better civic amenities and public services. He added that discussions regarding the functioning of both municipalities had already been held on several occasions with officials and elected representatives.

We have visited both municipalities and held discussions with them. My comments were not political in nature. However, the reality is that people in several areas are not receiving the services they deserve. Residents in different wards have repeatedly taken to the streets to protest over unresolved civic issues. It was because of these continuing problems that I made the post, Bhattacharya said.

Responding to the minister's comments, Serampore Municipality Chairman Giridhari Shah said that the minister was well aware of the challenges faced by the civic body. He acknowledged that certain developmental works had been affected by administrative and technical difficulties following changes in government policies and procedures, but maintained that efforts were being made to address the issues.

The minister is fully aware of the ground realities in our municipality. Some temporary difficulties have arisen for various reasons. I will discuss the matter with him, and I am hopeful that the situation will improve soon, Shah said.

He further stated that a dispute had recently arisen in Ward No. 25 over a local civic issue and that residents had been assured the problem would be resolved within seven days.

Bhattacharya's Facebook post has reignited debate over the quality of civic services and municipal governance in Rishra and Serampore. The issue continues to be discussed across political and social circles, while residents are now looking for concrete measures and visible improvements in service delivery from both municipalities.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Priyanka Pandey