BJP MLA Ritesh Tiwari Slams KMC Over Dengue, Says Civic Services Worse Than TMC Era

Kolkata: BJP MLA Ritesh Tiwari has criticised the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) over its handling of dengue and civic services, claiming that the situation in the city has deteriorated over the past three to four months and is worse than it was during the previous Trinamool Congress administration.

Tiwari, the BJP legislator from Kashipur-Belgachia, raised the issue amid growing concern over dengue cases in Kolkata ahead of Durga Puja. He alleged that civic authorities were relying on photo opportunities instead of addressing the situation on the ground.

According to Tiwari, several areas of Kolkata continue to face problems related to stagnant water, poor road conditions and inadequate civic maintenance. He also alleged that the actual situation was not being adequately reflected during official inspections.

Tiwari claimed that civic officials were taking ministers only to selected areas so that they would not see the worst-affected parts of the city. He questioned the effectiveness of the current administration’s dengue-control measures and said that the condition of civic services had become worse than during the TMC’s tenure.

The BJP MLA’s comments come at a time when dengue remains a concern in West Bengal. According to the state Health Department, Kolkata has recorded a significant number of dengue cases this year, with the city reportedly ranking behind Murshidabad in terms of reported infections.

The state government has also announced that the dengue-related yellow alert in West Bengal will remain in force until February next year, indicating that authorities expect the seasonal risk to continue beyond the Puja period.

The criticism has drawn a response from the Trinamool Congress and the civic administration. State Urban Development and Municipal Affairs Minister Pranay Roy defended the government’s assessment of the situation and rejected the suggestion that official visits were being arranged to conceal the extent of dengue transmission.

Roy said that the area he had visited was in fact among the parts of Kolkata reporting the highest number of dengue cases. The response challenges Tiwari’s allegation that ministers were being taken only to selected areas to present a favourable picture.

The dispute comes against the backdrop of a broader administrative transition at the KMC. After Firhad Hakim resigned as mayor following the change of government, the elected civic board was dissolved and IAS officer Smeeta Pandey, who is also the KMC commissioner, was appointed as administrator. The state government has announced that elections to the 144 existing KMC wards will be held by the first week of December, following the completion of the ongoing delimitation process.

The civic body is therefore currently functioning under an administrator rather than an elected mayor and board. The transition has coincided with the monsoon and the seasonal rise in mosquito-borne diseases, placing additional focus on drainage, waste management, vector-control measures and road maintenance.

Tiwari has previously raised concerns about the functioning of the civic body, including vacancies within the KMC. During an Assembly discussion last month, he demanded that thousands of vacant posts in the corporation be filled.

The latest exchange between the BJP MLA and the civic administration is consequently part of a wider political debate over Kolkata’s civic infrastructure and public-health preparedness. While Tiwari has attributed the deterioration in services to the present administration, the government has disputed his assessment and pointed to the areas with the highest reported dengue burden as evidence of its ongoing monitoring.

With the Puja season approaching and the dengue alert expected to remain in place for several more months, the effectiveness of mosquito-control operations, drainage management and other civic measures is likely to remain under close public and political scrutiny.