JOIN USKolkata civic polls: Parties woo voters with promise of a modern city; hit out at one another for existing deficiencies
As the opposition BJP, Left Front and the Congress focus on alleged illegal constructions in the city, "worsening" law and order and waterlogging as the main planks in their manifestos for the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) elections, the ruling Trinamool Congress promises to improve facilities which, the party asserted, have been put in place during its tenure in the past two terms.
Since May 2020, the city's municipal body is being run by a board of administrators formed following the postponement of the civic elections in the state amid the Covid-19 pandemic. The KMC poll is scheduled to be held on December 19.
In its manifesto, the TMC said to combat increased waterlogging in the city, which it claimed is due to change in rainfall pattern, existing pumping stations will be upgraded and 200 pumps procured to flush out accumulated water during heavy rain.
It also talked of revamping the Adi Ganga canal with regular dredging.
Even as complaints of broken roads by motorists rise, the TMC promised pothole-free Kolkata roads and a reduction in traffic congestion through the construction of 50 escalator-enabled footbridges and subways at major intersections and widening of roads.
Road space in the city is reported to be around 4 per cent and experts have pointed to the blockage of footpaths by hawkers as one of the reasons for congestion of thoroughfares since people are forced to walk on roads.
The chairman of the KMC board of administrators, Firhad Hakim, claimed that numerous projects -- from drinking water treatment plants to flyovers -- have been successfully taken up during the tenure of the TMC, while accusing the Centre of scuttling plans, such as building a flyover in New Alipore area of south Kolkata.
Stressing the need for providing quality education to children of all income groups, the TMC promised the conversion of 100 municipal schools into English medium and upgrade of infrastructure. It also promised make Kolkata dengue-free by setting up 30 new detection centres and seasonal cleaning and fumigation drives.
The BJP, on the other hand, termed Kolkata as a symbol of literature, culture, harmony and fraternity, and promised to bring back the city's lost pride. The party, in its manifesto, promised strict enforcement of the law to ensure the safety of women and children and prevent crimes in the city.
Pointing at a recent incident in which a policeman and a civic volunteer were accused of molesting a woman who had sought their in neighbouring Bidhannagar, BJP State President Sukanta Majumdar said, "This is an example of the law and order situation under the TMC rule."
Claiming that law and order is good under the Mamata Banerjee government, senior TMC MP Saugata Roy termed it as a "stray incident".
The BJP manifesto pledged to improve healthcare facilities, water supply and appropriate preventive measures to weed out malaria and dengue. It said that it will ensure that the city ranks among the top for cleanliness and will embark on a beautification drive. The saffron party also promised better roads and the construction of new flyovers to reduce congestion.
For resolving the waterlogging problem of city roads and low-lying areas during monsoon, the BJP said it will overhaul the drainage system.
BJP spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya accused the TMC of being incapable of solving the problems of the metropolis, stating that the KMC had required the help of Odisha to clear roads of felled trees following cyclone Amphan in 2020.
"The BJP's goal is to provide a modern Kolkata city free of problems of waterlogging, drinking water, etc," he said.
Municipal schools will be provided with modern computers and scientific instruments, while their infrastructure will be bettered, the saffron party said in its manifesto. It also promised a separate legal cell of the KMC against illegal construction and for safeguarding the interests of the buyers of real estate.
The Left Front alleged that around 3,000 waterbodies in the city have been filled up illegally and nearly 50,000 trees have been felled during the TMC's tenure, helping Kolkata enter the top echelons of the unenviable list of most-polluted cities in the world.
The CPI(M)-led group claimed that around 28,000 posts in the KMC are lying vacant and work is being done by temporary or contract workers. It further claimed that the slums in the city are making way for illegal high-rise buildings, promising to take measures on these issues if it wins the elections to the 144-ward KMC.
The Congress, which has seen its fortunes dwindle steadily in the city's civic body elections, has promised empowerment of women and betterment of facilities like education for children and healthcare for senior citizens. It also promised to stop illegal construction in the city.
Watch the latest DH Videos here: