The State Urban Development and Municipal affairs(UD&MA) Department today issued a notice informing that in the wake of the Covid situation, the board of administrators (BOA) of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) that was in charge of discharging civic body duties but remained suspended during the polls, has been re-instated.
The notice issued informed that with the Model Code of Conduct coming into effect, the Election Commission had temporarily restrained certain persons from participating or exercising the functions of members of the BOA appointed in various municipal corporations. Khalil Ahmed, IAS, principal secretary of UD&MA department was instead engaged as the administrator during all this time but now since the elections process has ended and results declared, the MCC has ceased to exist from 3 May.
It reasoned, thus keeping in view the Covid situation that would require the municipal corporation to take necessary measures, the BOA of KMC is once again restored to discharge its functions. It however mentioned that all members of the board shall continue to fulfil their duties without drawing any emolument or renumeration, or any financial gain or any prerequisite.
TMC leader Firhad Hakim who was the mayor, and later the chairman of the board, today called a meeting with all councillors at Roxy cinema hall and informed that the state government has taken the decision keeping in view the covid situation.
He said that all the ward coordinators (councillors) too have been re-appointed to discharge their duties in all 144 wards of the KMC which include helping citizens to obtain death certificates in covid cases.
They were instructed to carry out ward-wise awareness campaigns using hired autos from tomorrow onwards. Hakim also said that two more safe homes are being created at Rajarhat and Gitanjali with provisions of providing oxygen.
He assured that tieups have also been done with government hospitals like SSKM or Sambhunath Pandit where patients can be transferred from these safe homes. Private hospitals have also been kept in the loop.