COOCHBEHAR MUNICIPALITY

Proposal to expand municipal area

The Congress-run Cooch Behar Municipality has submitted a proposal to expand the municipal area. But, the state government has been reportedly sitting over the proposal for a long.

 

The chairman of Cooch Behar Municipality Mr Biren Kundu said they submitted a proposal to the government asking its approval to expand the municipal area. Once expanded the municipality may be upgraded to a C-category municipality from its present position, that is, D-category. A C-category municipality can be able get many facilities from the Union government including additional funds under different developmental schemes.

 

Presently there are twenty wards in Cooch Behar Municipality. The number of wards may rise by seven to ten wards, Mr Kundu expects. A large portion of the gram panchayat areas adjacent to the municipal area like Khagrabari, Guriahati-I and Guriahati-II gram panchayats is likely to come under Cooch Behar Municipality. The residents of the proposed added areas may be able to enjoy all the civic facilities after merging of the gram panchayat areas with the town.

 

"We have submitted the proposal including a map of the proposed added areas but the state government is sitting over it for a long", Mr Kundu, who is also the president of the District Congress, alleged.

 

The CPI-M and its political ally Forward Bloc are opposing the plan for mere political reasons. "They are not considering the advantages of Cooch Behar Municipality as a C-category one because we, the Congress, are in power here. They failed to pull us down in the elections. But, they should understand that narrow minded politics can bring no good to the citizens", Mr Kundu said. For overall development new areas should be added with the existing Cooch Behar municipal area, he opined. []