Earlier, Firhad Hakim served as mayor of Kolkata. (File)
Kolkata:
The Election Commission has written to the chief secretary of West Bengal, Rajiva Sinha, to inquire whether the state’s minister of urban development, Firhad Hakim, who is also chairman of the board of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation, has two terms profit.
In a letter to Mr. Sinha earlier this month, Vijay Kumar Pandey, one of the returning officers, also asked why Hakim should not be removed from office as a member of parliament.
“Yes, we have received a letter about this. We are examining the matter. We will reply to you when the time is right,” said a senior government official.
The Minister of Urban Development, when contacted, stated that he takes no salary or benefit as chairman of the board of the civic body.
Secretariat sources indicated that the EC, in its letter, had asked nine questions, two of which related to Hakim’s responsibilities and compensation as chairman of the board of the KMC.
The letter requested details of Hakim’s appointment process, a copy of the appointment order and information on the facilities granted to him and the exemptions granted to his office under any order or law.
He also inquired about the date on which a job creation notification was issued and whether it was made for a directive from the state government.
Government sources said the EC released the letter after Satish Tiwari, the governor’s additional chief secretary, wrote to the polling station on June 22.
In the letter to the EC, the additional chief secretary said that Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar had received letters accusing Hakim of holding two lucrative posts and requested his dismissal as a member of parliament, citing section 191 (1) ( A) of the Constitution.
In particular, in 2007 the state government included 115 positions in the list of for-profit offices. In 2011, the list was changed and the number of these posts was increased to 126.
The office of the chairman of the board of directors of the KMC, created earlier this year after the postponement of municipal elections due to the Covid-19 pandemic, is not included in the list.
Previously, Hakim had served as mayor of Kolkata.
Hakim, for his part, said that the governor, in collusion with the BJP, was trying to create trouble.
“I do not take salary or benefits, allowances or car as chairman of the board of directors. The BJP and the governor jointly want to disturb us (the government of the Congress of Trinamool). The court me asked to continue my assignment, and I will work accordingly, “he added.
