THE government of West Bengal has adopted a vindictive and hostile attitude towards the Siliguri Municipal Corporation and the Siliguri Mahakuma Parishad, both being run by the opposition parties led by the CPI(M). The TMC-led government has unleashed a systematic economic blockade against the two civic bodies since they decisively failed to win a majority there. The PWD of the state government, chaired by Firhad Hakim, has withheld the legitimate dues that these civic bodies are entitled to. Even in such projects where no funds but only the approval from the state government is required, the works have been stalled by withholding the mere approval.  
It is apparent that Mamata Banerjee has not been able to accept the electoral defeat in the aforesaid civic bodies as well as in Siliguri, Fansideowa and Naxalbari constituencies in the recently concluded assembly elections. According to Ashok Bhattacharya, the mayor of Siliguri Municicpal Corporation, this economic blockade is in line with the avowed objective of the CM to wipe out all opposition parties from the state, by any possible means with scant regard towards constitutional and democratic norms. An amount of Rs 80 crore which is due to the municipal corporation for the financial year 2016-17 has yet not been disbursed. Under the central scheme for providing affordable housing, only Siliguri Municipal Corporation has been deprived of any funding whereas an amount of Rs 1100 crore received from the central government has been disbursed across several municipalities in West Bengal. Under ‘AMRUT’ scheme of the central government, the state government has disbursed around Rs 300 crore across the state, with the exception of Siliguri where a paltry sum of Rs 29 lakhs has been allotted, despite being the second largest municipal area in the state after Kolkata. Under “Swacch Bharat Mission” fund is being disbursed across various municipalities, a sum of Rs 10 lakhs has been allotted to Siliguri. Funds due to Siliguri under basic minimum services, urban wage employment, and municipal area development have been withheld in narrow sectarian interests.
Ashok Bhattacharya stated that while the CM protests in Delhi for deprivation in fund allotment to the state, she should practice the same in her own treatment of such civic bodies which are being run by the opposition. 23 elected members of the Siliguri Municipal Corporation and six members of Siliguri Mahakuma Parishad have decided to stage a demonstration in front of the PWD and panchayat departments head quarters in Kolkata. The 17 wards of the municipality where TMC candidates have won, did get the relief subsequent to the floods, however, in a blatant move, the inhabitants of other wards have been deprived of this. All these malice of the state government is aimed towards dismantling the municipal corporation and the Mahakuma Parishad. This is a grave affront to the democratic mandate of the people.
This is happening in the background of an all-out attack on opposition-led municipalities and panchayats throughout the state. Opposition members of these bodies are threatened and allured under huge money and are forced to change sides in a complete unethical manner.