Kolkata, May 22 (IANS) Trinamool Congress supremo and former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has convened an emergency meeting with all the party councillors in Kolkata Municipal Corporation, following successive notices from the KMC to her nephew Abhishek Banerjee’s multiple properties during the last seven days.

A party councillor, who did not wish to be named, said the main agenda is to discuss the evolving situation. The party feels that the KMC bureaucratic setup is functioning independently at the behest of the Municipal Affairs & Urban Development Department and is ignoring the elected councillors, mayor and members-mayor in council (MMIC). The KMC board is run by Trinamool Congress, with four-time party legislator and former state Minister Firhad Hakim still the KMC mayor.

“The Municipal Commissioner, Smita Pandey, has cancelled the municipal session of KMC, which was scheduled today. At the same time, the municipal administration is operating on its own as per the instructions of the state government without any consultation with the mayor and MMICs. In such a situation, our supreme leader has convened a crucial meeting with all the party councillors later in the day to discuss ways to handle the changed situation,” the party councillor said.

Earlier this week, the KMC authorities started a probe into several properties reportedly owned or co-owned by Abhishek Banerjee. The corporation authorities also served notices under Section 400(1) of the KMC Act 1980, which allows owners of allegedly illegal constructions an opportunity to appear before civic authorities and present their case, to 17 properties owned or co-owned by Abhishek Banerjee in areas within the KMC’s jurisdiction.

Copies of the notices have been pasted on the walls of such properties. Two residences of the Diamond Harbour MP, one at 188A Harish Mukherjee Road and the other at nearby 121 Kalighat Road, are under the KMC scanner.

Mayor Hakim has denied any knowledge of the development and clarified that the municipal commission, by virtue of its designation and authorities, could serve such notices without informing the mayor.

Again, on Thursday, a fresh political and administrative controversy has surfaced over the family residence of Abhishek Banerjee after the KMC’s Assessor-Collector (South) office issued a notice regarding the property at 188A, Harish Mukherjee Road.

According to KMC records, the premises in question were initially purchased in the name of M/s Animesh Tradelink Private Limited, which was later renamed ‘Leaps and Bounds Infra Consultants Private Limited’.

It has been alleged that although the old structure was demolished and a new building named ‘Santiniketan’ was constructed on the premises, the property continued to be assessed as ‘owner-occupied’.

–IANS

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