The West Bengal Governor, Jagdeep Dhankhar, today lashed out at the chief minister Mamata Banerjee, for issuing a notification to set up an administrator board to run Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC), without informing the Governor.
The state urban development and municipal affairs (UDMA) department had yesterday issued a notification according to which the state government has decided to appoint a board of administrators with UDMA minister Firhad Hakim as the chairman, to run the KMC after the term of the incumbent Board expires on 7 May, 2020.
It was stated that to ensure the municipal body continues with its roles in containing Covid-19 pandemic and render its municipal services to citizens without hindrance, the board will come into effect from 8 May 2020.
The Governer, however, is disappointed over the state government’s decision, alleging that he was kept in the dark and no information was shared with him in relation to the matter concerned. The chief secretary of the state has been intimated of the same by the office of the governor. The letter from Raj Bhawan stated that the notification dated 6 May about KMC is yet to be made available to the Governor by sending it to Raj Bhawan without delay.
The notification, however, is widely in circulation in the media, the letter pointed out. It further directed that the chief secretary should urgently forward the notification along with information relating to the decision-making authority concerned. The letter asserted that the matter be accorded highest priority, given its “constitutional repercussions” impacting bodies that are subject to Part IX A of the Constitution.
It pointed out that lack of response from the chief secretary led to invocation of Article 167 of the Constitution which states that the duties of a chief minister include communicating to the Governor of the state, all decisions of the council of ministers relating to the administration of the affairs of the state and proposals for legislations.
The duties of a chief minister also concern furnishing of such information as the Governor may call for and if the Governor so requires, the chief minister must also submit for the consideration of the council of ministers on any matter where a decision has been taken by a minister but has not been considered by the council.