KOLKATA: The West Bengal government on Tuesday dissolved the Darjeeling municipality board with immediate effect and appointed an administrator for six months. The move was initiated after 17 out of 30 municipal councillors defected to the BJP from the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM).
The state government appointed additional district magistrate (general) Mayuri Vasu as the administrator.
After the defection, the councillor had written to chairperson Prativa Rai Tamang to hold a special meeting to take up a no-confidence motion against her board. The board was dissolved after the appointment of the administrator. under section 431 of the West Bengal Municipal Act, 1993, that deals with power of the state government to intervene in case of gross neglect or serious irregularity.
The BJP leaders criticised the decision of appointing the administrator.