Krishna Chakraborty named Mayor of Bidhannagar

Kolkata: Krishna Chakraborty has been appointed the Mayor of Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation.

Sabyasachi Dutta, who recently came back to Trinamool Congress after his brief stay in BJP, has been appointed as the chairman. Anita Mondal has been made the deputy mayor.

The decision was taken at the first meeting of the national working committee of Trinamool Congress on Friday evening. The meeting was held at Mamata Banerjee's Kalighat residence with Firhad Hakim announcing the names of the Mayor and the chairman.

Bidhan Upadhyay has been appointed as the Mayor of Asansol Municipal Corporation while Wasimul Haque and Abhijit Ghatak have been made the deputy mayors. Hakim said the Urban Development and Municipal Affairs department would bring the necessary amendment to provide two posts of deputy mayor in the civic bodies.

Ram Chakraborty has been appointed as the Mayor of Chandernagore Municipal Corporation. The name of the chairman's post will be announced later.

Earlier, Mamata Banerjee had announced Gautam Deb as the mayor of Siliguri Municipal Corporation. The name of the deputy mayor and chairman will be announced later.

Talking to newsmen after becoming the mayor of Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation, Chakraborty said her primary work would be to simplify the method of calculating property tax in Salt Lake.

"We will pursue the court cases and simplify the method to encourage people to pay property tax on time. To provide services to the masses, we need money. I can't go to Chadrimadi (Bhattacharya) and beg for money every time. We should be financially self-sufficient," she said, adding that there won't be any water tax. Chakraborty was appointed as the mayor and later chairman of the board of administrators of BMC after Sabyasachi Dutta resigned as the mayor and joined the BJP.

Chakraborty said the new civic board would work to develop the added areas. "The solid waste management will be streamlined and the board will work to make a clean and green Salt Lake."

Dutta thanked the Trinamool leadership for keeping faith in him. He had gone to the saffron party and was defeated by Sujit Bose, the state minister for Fire and Emergency Services, in the Assembly elections. He said he would request the civic board to improve the drainage system and roads in the Salt Lake area. "The drainage system is nearly 50 years old and needs upgradation. Also, the roads in some pockets need proper repair."

Ram Chakraborty, the newly appointed mayor of Chandannagore Municipal Corporation, said his primary work would be to provide better services to the people. "Chandannagore is a heritage town and steps will be taken to preserve its rich culture."