Indian Express 30.11.2010
Empty benches put an end to workshop for councillors
Sreecheta Das Tags : corporation workshop Posted: Tue Nov 30 2010, 06:26 hrs
Kolkata: A four-day orientation programme organised by Kolkata Municipal Corporation for giving training to first time councillors failed to take off because of poor attendance. Professors of Institute of Urban Management were supposed to give lecture to the councillors on various theoretical and practical aspects of urban governance. The councillors were divided into five groups of 28 each.Topics that were to be covered at the workshop that began on November 25 included history and origin of KMC, its heritage, the structure of the civic body, basics of urban planning, urban poverty, developing problem solving skills. Field visits to Falta-Tala pumping station, e-Kolkata Solid Waste Management project building at Gariahat, Dhapa compost ground, Pamar Bazar pumping station and Town Hall were also part of the workshop.
“But KMC authorities have decided to defer the programme because of insufficient attendance on the first day,” said Atindranath Chakrobarty, chairman of Institute of Urban Management. Only one out of the 30 new Trinamool Congress councillors, along with one each from Congress, BJP and two from Left Front were present on the first day of the work shop.
“I reached there in the middle of the first lecture on the first day of the workshop and found that only four other councillors were present. I went there to learn more about the administrative works of the KMC but found that the authorities had decided to call off the programme for the time being,” said Partha Pratim Hazari, MMIC (Food Adulteration) who was the sole Trinamool councillor who attended the workshop. “I believe it would have been very helpful for all, especially for first timers like me. It is strange that only one councillor from the Trinamool turned up in an initiative taken by the corporation, which is run by their party,” said Biroti Dutta, a first time Left Front councillor.
