Howrah Improvement (Amendment) Bill passed in Assembly

The Howrah Improvement (Amendment) Bill, 2017 was passed in the Assembly on Thursday.

The amendment in the Bill was brought to make changes in the mode of appointment of staff in Howrah Improvement Trust (HIT) and to ensure that the decisions of the state government are considered final for efficient administration.

According to the amendment in the Bill, the Municipal Service Commission constituted under the West Bengal Municipal Act 1993, or any other body as may be notified by the state government, shall select candidates for being appointed in the HIT.

Moreover, for efficient administration, the state government may issue directions to the board from time to time and the board shall carry out such directions.

The decision of the state government shall be considered as final if any dispute arises between the state government and the board.

Firhad Hakim, the state Urban Development minister, said in the Assembly that despite presence of a body like HIT, no steps were taken for development of the twin city.

Waterlogging had been a major problem in Howrah during the regime of the Left Front.

HIT was formed during the time of Dr Bidhan Chandra Roy. But it had lost its importance during the 34 years of Left Front rule.

Various steps have been taken for development of Howrah, which is the twin city of Kolkata and the amendment brought in the Bill will help to revive the lost glory of Howrah.