New municipal chairmen in Mathabhanga & Kaliyaganj civic bodies

Cooch Behar/Raiganj: Two key municipalities in North Bengal—Mathabhanga in Cooch Behar district and Kaliyaganj in North Dinajpur—saw major administrative changes on Wednesday as new chairmen officially assumed charge following directives from the state leadership.

In Mathabhanga, Prabir Sarkar, councillor of Ward 3, took over as the new chairman, succeeding Lakshpati Pramanik, who stepped down as part of the party’s organisational reshuffle. After assuming office, Sarkar said the party had entrusted him with the responsibility of accelerating development and beautification initiatives across the town.

He stated that easing traffic congestion, renovating roads and ghats and expanding key stretches would be his immediate priorities. “Several development plans have already been prepared, including renovation of the approach road to the hospital. I will soon meet the district leadership along with the vice-chairman to ensure speedy implementation. People will see visible progress within the next four months,” he added.

Meanwhile, in Kaliyaganj Municipality, Biswajit Kundu, councillor of Ward 9, was unanimously elected chairman, with Ward 6 councillor Jaya Barman appointed as vice-chairperson. The new board was formed on Wednesday afternoon in the presence of the Raiganj SDO.

In the 2023 municipal elections, the Trinamool Congress won 10 of the 17 seats in Kaliyaganj, while the BJP secured six and an Independent candidate won one. Initially, Ramniwas Saha and Ishwar Rajak held the positions of chairman and vice-chairman. However, ahead of the Assembly elections, the state leadership sought a reshuffle, leading to their resignation and the selection of the new board.

After taking charge, Kundu said: “My aim is to ensure all-round development with a focus on improving road and drainage infrastructure across the municipality.”