Jalpaiguri, Sept. 18 -- The formation of a new board at Jalpaiguri Municipality has been stalled amid fresh legal complications, with the state government preparing to challenge a single-bench order before the division bench of the Calcutta High Court. The deadlock has raised concerns over civic services in the town ahead of Puja.
On Thursday, the Sadar Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO) sent a letter to three councillors-Tapan Banerjee, Manindranath Barman and Uttam Basu-who had supported convening a special meeting. They were asked to suspend the meeting and the process of forming a new board and electing a chairman.
The notice stated that the state government would appeal against the single-bench verdict and that there was no need for a special meeting until the matter was decided.
However, Ward 15 councillor Tapan Banerjee said: "We have not received any notice yet. If the administration tries to stop the meeting, it will amount to killing the Constitution. The process we are following is as per the rules, and the meeting cannot be stopped without a court order."
The impasse began on August 27, when three councillors supporting a no-confidence motion called a meeting seeking the removal of chairman Saikat Chatterjee. Chatterjee resigned on the same day. Amid the resulting uncertainty, the state government appointed the Sadar SDO as administrator.
Councillors subsequently challenged the appointment in the High Court, arguing that the no-confidence process had not been completed. On September 8, the Jalpaiguri Circuit Bench cancelled the order appointing the administrator.
Following the verdict, councillors issued a notice calling a meeting on Saturday to form a new board. The administration subsequently asked them to suspend the process.
Meanwhile, the state has begun preparing its appeal. The case may come up during the September 28-October 9 Circuit Bench sitting; otherwise, it could be heard after Kali Puja.
With neither an administrator nor a new board in place, residents fear further disruption in civic services before Puja.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.