Kolkata,   Barring Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) and Howrah Municipal Corporation (HMC), five other municipal corporations in West Bengal will function with two Deputy Mayors from near future.

The state Municipal Affairs and Urban Development department will move a motion to bring a motion seeking amendments in the act concerned during the ongoing session of the Assembly to facilitate positions of two Deputy Mayors in these civic bodies - Asansol Municipal Corporation (AMC) and Durgapur Municipal Corporation (DMC) in West Burdwan district, Chandernagore Municipal Corporation (CMC) in Hooghly district, Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation (BMC) in North 24 Parganas district, and Siliguri Municipal Corporation (SMC) in Darjeeling district.

With questions being raised on why the necessity has arisen for creating two Deputy Mayor posts, especially for these five municipal corporations, Trinamool Congress leaders said the decision is being prompted by the necessity of providing speedy and effective civic services to the residents residing in the municipal corporation areas and also to relieve pressure on the Mayor and the Deputy Mayor.

There comes the question on why Kolkata Municipal Corporation and Howrah Municipal Corporation have been kept out of the ambit of change. Trinamool leaders have their logic on this count too. According to them, Kolkata Municipal Corporation being the older body on this count with iconic personalities like Chittaranjan Das and Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose having occupied the chair of Mayor, the state government does not want to break out of the tradition. In case of Howrah Municipal Corporation, since its polls are still due, it has been kept out of the ambit of change for the time being.

However, the opposition leaders from the BJP camp have claimed that this is yet another ploy to keep the infighting in Trinamool Congress under control to provide berth to disgruntled leaders.