Ward 31
Blocks: BF, CF, CE, DE, DF, Central Park, AE, BE
Last councillor: Sabyasachi Dutta
Average of ratings given to last councillor by voters spoken to: 4.3/10
Issues to address: Common grouses are damaged roads, the sorry state of the jhupri (CE Block) Market, flooding during monsoons, mosquitoes and cables hanging from poles that are as much an eyesore as a hazard to pedestrians and motorists.
“The empty plots have turned into vats. Now a month before the elections the authorities have suddenly started cleaning up,” tattled a college student from BF Block. “The cars that stay parked in our lanes round the clock block movement of residents’ cars.”
An AE Block lady in her 40s complained about street dogs. “There are more than 10 of them in some lanes. They are so scary that I’m forced to take a rickshaw even if I have to travel within the block,” she says. “Pet dogs are no better, the way their owners make them defaecate everywhere.”
She asked for speed breakers to reduce rash driving and asked for them to be duly painted so they can be spotted from afar. “The authorities also need to prevent immoral activities that are rampant in the back of cars parked in our lanes after dark. Drivers have flung liquor bottles out of their cars into my house too.”
Almost all voters spoken to specified that they wanted an honest councillor. “We want to build our houses and conduct our businesses without being threatened into paying ‘security money’. We want to be able to approach our councillor without worrying that he may demand money in exchange for his help,” said a 50-something resident of BF Block.
Voters also wanted a reliable leader who would stick to the party representing which he would get voted into power.
Did you receive any pandemic-specific help from any political party: Did not need
Will you go to vote: 20 per cent were unsure. “I had not gone to vote last year either due to the pandemic, and I haven’t decided whether to go this time or not,” said a retired government officer of CE Block.
Candidate speak
Sabyasachi Dutta (TMC): The green verges need maintenance and the ancient drainage system needs complete overhauling to prevent flooding during monsoons. We have had enough of patchwork repairs on roads. I shall ensure thorough repairs that will last at least five years.
Devasish Jana (BJP): I am promising regular sweeping, timely collection of garbage and illumination in streets if I win. Only AE (Part 1) ground is in good condition as it is rarely used. The other grounds are uneven and the gates are broken. They need better maintenance. The roads inside blocks are in bad shape. Drainage will need an overhaul.
Bimalesh Thakur (Forward Bloc): I shall run an honest administration, free from corruption and syndicates. I shall also work to improve roads and drainage.
Ward 32 residents complain of damaged roads between Karunamoyee and Sector V. Debasmita Bhattacharjee
Ward 32
Blocks: DL, Karuna-moyee, EE
Last councillor: Sudhir Saha
Average of ratings given to last councillor by voters spoken to: 5.5
Issues to address: The frightful state of roads is a common chorus, especially for those having to cross the stretch from Karunamoyee to Sector V. “The stretch between Karunamoyee and EE Block is always damaged, possibly because even buses ply on that narrow road,” says a resident of Karunamoyee’s F Block. “Our drainage system is ancient and needs repairs.”
A DL Block resident objected to unauthorised rickshaw stands and mushrooming of places of worship. “Rickshaw-pullers at the stand demand exorbitant rates and if we summon our trusted rickshawwallas from elsewhere, they pick a fight with them,” she said.
An EE Block resident wanted a better flow of information from the councillor to residents. “I went to the ward office multiple times to seek vaccine for my bed-ridden father but it was useless. It was the same for government schemes. I want a councillor who will work — not just for those affiliated to his or her party but — for everyone.”
Did you receive any pandemic-specific help from any political party: On the contrary, the EE Block lady feels she was refused help as she wasn’t affiliated to any party.
Will you go to vote: All said yes, with one adding that she will be voting after a gap of six years as she has returned home due to the pandemic.
Intertwined cables dangle over a road divider in HB Block in Ward 32. Brinda Sarkar
Candidate speak
Kakoli Saha (Trinamul): “The ward needs CCTVs, Karunamoyee needs drainage overhauling and EE Block needs a milk booth. I want to start an emergency section at EE Block’s Matri Sadan hospital and connect residents to the ward office through WhatsApp.”
Piyali Basu (BJP): “Sewage water flowed back from drains through October-November-December and as a resident of Karunamoyee, I had to suffer the stench of that muck. The problem was there in EE and DL blocks too and needs immediate attention. Short spells of rain are resulting in inundation of streets. Being in hospital administration, I helped people with hospitalisation and provided medicines during the pandemic. I will draw up a list of senior citizens in the ward and keep in touch with them. Parks and roads need attention. Children cannot use cement swings, like the one installed in Karunamoyee F Block park.”
Sukanta Banerjee (CPM): I will sit with residents and figure out their needs. The Karunamoyee community centre needs to be vacated of the police commissionerate office. Matri Sadan is almost non-functional now. It needs to be revived. Drainage is another major issue.
Suhita Basumallik (CPI): I am promising regularity in civic services. I will revive the ward committee. Drainage is a problem both in EE Block and Karunamoyee. Residents want their Karunamoyee community centre back from the police. I want to build a library cum activity zone for children as they have been most affected in these two years. I also want to inspire housing complexes to start solar power generation and rain water harvesting.
Ward 33
Blocks: FC, FD, FE, FF, FB, GB, GC, HA till tank 13
Last councillor: Neelanjana Manna
Average of ratings given to the outgoing councillor by voters spoken to: 1.5/10
Issues to address: Damaged roads. “There’s a compactor station near Tank 13. So garbage trucks and other heavy motor vehicles flock there and ruin the road,” said a resident of ESI housing complex. An HA Block resident added dirty streets to the list. “Since people will not stop littering and relieving themselves in the open, the authorities should impose fines on them,” she said. “And trees should be trimmed scientifically, so they topple over at the hint of a storm.”
An FE Block resident said she was fed up of guest houses in residential areas. “The guests have music blaring till 4am, ruining the peace of the block. It is also a security concern as we never know who comes to live in the guest houses,” She also complained about the cobweb of cables.
An FD Block resident wanted the councillor to sterilise street dogs to control their population while also feeding and sheltering them in winter. Residents remarked at how despite having FD Market, they still had to head to EC, GD or IA Market in other wards for their necessities.
Did you receive any pandemic-specific help from any political party: Most said they did not seek help although an FD Block resident said she had tried. “I tried calling the councillor but she wasn’t resourceful. Then I called the MLA and he arranged for hospital beds.
Will you go to vote: Eighty per cent said they would go.
Candidate speak
Banibrata Banerjee (TMC): “I am reminding voters of the service I gave when I was councillor here for a year and half. Flooding of streets in monsoon is a problem which the new Board will take centralised steps to solve. Other services like streetlights will be improved. My phone is on round the clock, so access to the councillor will not be a problem. I am assuring people of peaceful election. I want to get rid of the stigma of last time.”
Molly Paul (BJP): “The biggest issues are drainage system, road repair, park maintenance and streetlights. I will install CCTV cameras across my ward if I win. I also plan to develop an app to help senior citizens.”
Basab Basak (CPM): “I will revive the ward committee and be accountable to it. The practice was abandoned by Trinamul. A helpline for the elderly is the need of the hour. Parks and streetlights need maintenance. The lanes inside the block are in bad shape.”
A car manoeuvres out of an HB Block lane with vehicles parked on both sides. This is a major grouse of Ward 34 residents. Brinda Sarkar
Ward 34
Blocks: GD, GE, HB, slum of GD, HC, IB, IC, JC, JD, KC
Last councillor: Devashis Jana
Average of ratings given to the outgoing councillor by voters spoken to: 4/10
Issues to address: A lady from Mahabir Vikas wants a councillor who will work not just in the first few days of his tenure but throughout. “Initially they spent so much to spruce up the banks of the Eastern Drainage Canal. I myself would go for walks there. But now weeds grow, the lights don’t work and women don’t feel there after dark. One needs to maintain what one begins.”
The state of roads and the lack of car parking space are an issue.
“There are three hospitals in this vicinity as well as a Big Bazaar which draw huge crowds but none of these establishments have adequate parking space of their own. It’s a nightmare trying to drive through our lanes with cars parked carelessly on both sides sometimes,” said an HB Block resident.
Overhead cables need to be removed and empty plots around Tank 14 need to be cleared. “Even the large park in GD Block was in a shambles till they started clearing it a few weeks before the elections,” says a 30-something resident of the block. “Lanes have poor lighting, security is an issue, youths drink openly and couples breach decorum in our parks at night.”
Did you receive any pandemic-specific help from any political party: Many said their acquaintances had received oxygen and subsidised food from Red Volunteers.
Will you go to vote: Twenty per cent said they were undecided. “My family members are dissuading me from going to the booth due to the pandemic but I’ll try to slip in and cast my vote after my morning walk,” said an HB Block septuagenarian.
Candidate speak
Ranjan Poddar (TMC): “The markets in GD Block and IB Block need thorough repair. Illumination in streets needs improvement. Work on the GD Block playground will resume. A walkway will be built as well. A helpline will be started for residents.”
Kaushik Biswas (BJP): “My priority will be providing medical assistance to senior citizens. Be it to call a doctor or supply oxygen, I will be a call away. The drains and canals also need to be cleaned.”
Kamal Patra (CPM): “The drainage system needs to be overhauled. Senior citizens require security. Transparency is needed in administration. The democratic rights that people are being robbed of must be restored.”
A damaged street in Sukantanagar (Ward 35). Showli Chakraborty
Ward 35
Area: Sukantanagar
Last councillor: Jaydev Naskar
Average of ratings given to the last councillor by voters spoken to: 3/10
Issues to be addressed: Residents want better law and order. “The situation has worsened in the past five to eight years,” said Narayan Chandra Sen, a retired state government employee. “It’s almost impossible to walk on the streets after 10pm. Eve-teasing is rampant and so is reckless motorbike racing. Youngsters turn the area into a racing zone and we can’t step out in peace. This also leads to accidents but the authorities take no action.”
Residents want metalled roads and a solution to water-logging. “Sometimes rainwater even reaches meter boxes of homes, forcing us to switch them off and live in the dark. There are no pumps in our ward and it takes almost a week for the water to clear,” said Anita Nath.
Gouranga Adhikary was tired of hearing promises of potable water every five years. “After elections, these politicians disappear. No pipelines have been laid nor do we have any new tanks,” he said.
Robi Sardar wanted electricity. “Since most people here don’t have deeds for their properties, the electricity lines are illegal. We have informed the authorities many times that electric poles are being misused but nobody cares. Several businesses are thriving on illegal connections from overhead wires,” he said.
Ananta Das wants a valid trade licence for his paint shop. “The one that I had was issued by the Left Front government but the current authorities are refusing to renew it. How are small businessmen to survive?” he asks.
Did you receive any pandemic specific help from political parties: Most people have received ration, medical help and ambulance services organised by volunteers of the ruling party.
Will you go to vote: All voters spoken to said yes.
Candidate speak
Joydeb Naskar (TMC): “The municipal board in Bidhannagar stopped issuing trade licences to people not just in Sukantanagar but also in other areas under the corporation ever since it was formed. I want to take up this issue with the board all over again. Since most landowners have no deed for their properties in Sukantanagar I wish to work on that as well.”
Biswanath Panja (BJP): “The previous councillor has done nothing for the area. People have houses but no deeds. They have businesses but no trade licence. The houses have no mutation certificates. Most people here have unlawfully occupied government land and are now claiming to be permanent residents. The underground water being supplied from Tank 17 is high in iron and unfit for drinking. People have to buy water at Rs 6 per 10 litre jerrycan. Some blocks have no water supply. I will try to bring treated water from the Tallah plant that the rest of Salt Lake gets. Lights are needed in blocks by the bheri to spot snakes crossing the lanes. “
Santanu Bar (CPM): “Drinking water is a big problem here. We need to ensure supply of potable water in every household. There is no proper drainage system here. The libraries in the government schools have no good books. The quality of the primary and high school libraries also needs to be improved. This will be my agenda if I win.”
Ward 37
Blocks: IA, GA, Purbachal, JA, JB, LA, LB, KA, KB
Last councillor: Minu Das Chakraborty
Average of ratings given to the last councillor by residents spoken to: 7/10
Issues to address: Purbachal residents complain about their Duttabad neighbours. “They play distasteful music loudly from 7am to midnight. If we complain, our councillor says Duttabad isn’t her jurisdiction. We have even had to call up the MLA to stop the music. Such petty matters must be resolved by councillors, who need better co-ordination among themselves,” says an office-goer from Purbachal 2R.
Residents cannot complain enough about their roads. “Patchwork has to stop and the repairs must be permanent,” says a Cluster III resident. “Also, our footpaths are too high. Children and senior citizens cannot climb them up.”
An IA Block resident wants the roads free. “Free from outsiders’ cars that are parked on both sides of the lane as well as from cables that dangle dangerously from trees and poles.”
Did you receive any pandemic-specific help from any political party: Those spoken to said they did not need any.
Will you go to vote: All said yes
Candidate speak
Minu Das Chakraborty (TMC): “There is no end to work as new things will crop up. Some roads need to be repaired which cannot be done now because of the elections. I will install LED lights in streets. I also want a Netaji statue in the ward.”
Pramita Saha Ghosh (BJP): “I will start a helpline for elderly citizens. The roads are in disrepair, especially the stretches from Hyatt Regency to Bengal Tennis Academy and from EZCC to Tank 13. The drainage problem also needs attention.”
Soma Pramanik (CPM): “I will form the ward committee and involve residents in day-to-day decisions. The drainage lines need to be cleaned in IA Block and canals around the township dredged. Drinking water is still a problem in the housing societies in KB-KC blocks where cycle vans sell purified water at Rs 10 a jar. There is too much iron in the water across the block.”
Garbage spilling into a Duttabad (Ward 38) pond. Showli Chakraborty
Public toilets, that Duttabad (Ward 38) residents have to share. Picture by Showli Chakraborty
Ward 38
Area: Duttabad
Last councillor: Nirmal Dutta
Average of ratings given to the last councillor by voters spoken to: 8/10
Issues to be addressed: Drainage, water-logging and the lack of basic facilities are the major problems. “We have to share taps and bathrooms and I have to walk down to the footpath next to Bengal Chemical Metro station to do my washing and cleaning everyday,” said Krishna Adhikary, a housewife in a family of five.
“My house is next to a pond and we have to bear the brunt of mosquitoes, even though the health workers come to spray larvaecide and sprinkle bleaching powder all over the place,” said Sudipta Mondal, 28. “In the past eight years, I have seen this pond being cleaned no more than four or five times. Sometimes in monsoon, rainwater inundates the pond and we have to live in knee-deep water for three or four days.”
Residents want the garbage cleared more often. “Our principal issues are water-logging and narrow roads. Also, most streets corners have no electricity, just like in some houses,” said Sujoy Maity.
Did you receive any pandemic specific help from political parties: Most people admitted to having received ration and medical supplies from the councillor during the lockdown. “My neighbours even received oxygen cylinders and ambulance services when they needed it,” said resident Rekha Chakraborty.
Will you go to vote: All voters spoken to said yes.
Candidate speak
Aalo Das Dutta (TMC): “I shall follow in my husband Nirmal Dutta’s footsteps and continue the good work that he was doing. Everything I do will be done under the guidance of my husband and Sujit Bose.”
Mintu Maiti (BJP): “Drinking water and drainage are the biggest problems in Duttabad. I will take care of that. I also want to build a public library for children and adults in the area and will buy an ambulance for people in Duttabad.”
Anup Malik (CPM): “People in Duttabad need better schools and clearing of garbage on a day-to-day basis. They also need proper drains. All the dirty water is flowing into the roads and creating a breeding ground for mosquitoes. Cleanliness tops my priority list.”
Ward 39
Blocks: DA, DB, EA, BA, CA, CB, Duttabad (part)
Last councillor: Rajesh Chirimar
Average of ratings given to the last councillor by residents spoken to: 8/10
Issues to address: Residents of DB Block complained that visitors to City Centre rampantly parked in their lanes, often blocking their own gates and making movement difficult. “Whenever there is a construction in the block, sand and other materials are piled on to the roads, further reducing road space,” he said.
Those from BA Block said autos often use their lanes to bypass the traffic jam between PNB Island and the mouth of Salt Lake. “This clogs our lanes and is also dangerous as we have children cycling and playing in the streets,” said a senior citizen of BA Block, who also feels unsafe with the mushrooming of spas around the ward.
Residents of CB Block complain of pigeons flying in from DC Park, where they are fed (pigeon droppings are harmful to health). “The new advent of the lockdown — cloud kitchens — have come up in our neighbourhood and they are dirtying the surroundings as well as blocking our lanes with multiple cars,” said an elderly lady from CB Block. “Drivers of these cars have nowhere to relieve themselves either. We need more public toilets.
Did you receive any pandemic-specific help from any political party: The residents spoken to said that they did not need any.
Will you go to vote: Yes (80 per cent. No (20 per cent). “I am petrified of Covid. I have lost family members to it as well as neighbours,” said a lady in her 50s from DA Block.
Candidate speak
Rajesh Chirimar (TMC): “Roads need repair but the surface has to be scraped off first to return to the original level and avoid inundation during the rains. To prevent the constant digging of roads to lay cables, I shall install ducts under the footpath that will have openings. Any company that needs to lay cables shall pay us a fee and do so without any digging. This will also save the lampposts that are bending under the weight of overhead cables at present.
“Street dogs will be neutered, medical and e-waste collection will be initiated and to prevent drains from clogging, solid waste of eateries will monitored and crushed at the drain inlet stage.
“In Duttabad, I shall install water purifiers at street taps, work for women’s hygiene, try to start a secondary section in the primary school there and work towards combining the hutments there to build permanent dwellings.”
Soumyadeep Bhattacharya (BJP): “People of Duttabad have to cross the Bypass to get drinking water from a roadside tap. The community toilets have no mechanism for human waste treatment, which is dumped directly in local waterbodies. So when they overflow the banks after a shower, sometimes even the muck resurfaces. For the blocks, I want to start a 24-hour ambulance service and a second primary health centre for the area to help senior citizens staying alone. The streetlights need to be repaired. I want to install CCTVs at the entrances of each block.”
Radhanath Chand (CPM): “As a former councillor of four terms, I will provide corruption-free service. I will revive vocational training that was started by the Left Front-run municipality. Drinking water is still an issue in my ward. Drainage is also a big problem.”
Footpaths encroached by parked cars in CD Block, in Ward 40. Picture by Debasmita Bhattacharjee
Ward 40 residents complain about feeding of pigeons — whose droppings are harmful for health — around DC Park. Debasmita Bhattacharjee
Ward 40
Blocks: CC, CD, DD, EB (Labony Estate), EC, DC
Last councillor: Tulsi Sinha Roy
Average of ratings given to the last councillor by residents spoken to: 8/10
Issues to address: Labony residents want better street lighting. “The interiors of the complex aren’t well-lit and in fact there are stretches around the ward that need more lights too. If I have to walk to City Centre or EC Market, I do it during the day as I don’t feel safe at night,” said 20-something lady.
“Our roads get damaged every time it rains,” added a businessman of CD Block. A government employee from P&T quarters said their public water taps had worn out and that the unkempt greenery in their complex resembled the Sundarbans. “Our daily garbage collection is slack too,” he said.
A problem unique to this ward seems to be that of pigeons. “Every morning, residents from all over Salt Lake drive their Audis and BMWs to DC Park behind City Centre to feed cows and pigeons,” noted a businessman residing at The Residency. “But once they leave, it is we who have to deal with the dung and droppings. Not only are pigeon droppings harmful for health but they are also corrosive, wearing out our window panes and plumbing.”
Did you receive any pandemic-specific help from any political party: Did not need
Will you go to vote: All said yes
Candidate speak
Tulsi Sinha Roy (TMC): “The drainage system needs upgrading and some parks need maintenance work. EC Park especially needs better lighting. DD Block too needs more lamp posts. As for the pigeon problem, people should not feed them if they are disturbed by them. I could put up a board saying ‘Do not feed pigeons’ but the environment department will object.”
Mrinmoykanti Sarkar (BJP): “The drainage system needs to improve. Instead of patchwork on roads which is raising the level of the roads higher than building levels, the bitumen needs to be scraped off and the roads relaid. The Post & Telegraph quarters need to be cleared of wild growth.”
Sumanta Basu (CPI): “EC and CD blocks were supposed to house two-storeyed structures in the Salt Lake masterplan. Now four-storeyed houses are coming up. This is putting the water supply and sewerage systems under stress. I will build an exclusive play area for toddlers and start a helpline for the elderly. I also want to build a public library.”
Tiles have come loose on BC Block pavements (Ward 41). Debasmita Bhattacharjee
Magician P.C. Sorcar Jr campaigns for Umashankar Ghosh Dastidar, the BJP candidate for Ward 30, at Anushakti Abasan in AF Block on Sunday. Ghosh Dastidar was Sorcar’s election agent when he had contested the Lok Sabha polls in 2014. Debasmita Bhattacharjee
Ward 41
Blocks: AA, AB, AC, AD, Kestopur Canal-side slum, BB, BC, BD
Last councillor: Anindya Chatterjee
Average of ratings given to last councillor by voters spoken to: 0.5/10
Issues to address: Besides demands for better roads, cleanliness and security, residents want access to the green verge along the canal in their ward. “Parks across the state have reopened after Covid but our verge is still shut, preventing us from going for morning an evening walks there,” said an AD Block resident.
“Our streets need to be cleaner. It’s difficult to walk these days as pet dogs defaecate everywhere. Dustbins must be installed abundantly and pet owners must be fined if they don’t remove the droppings and throw them there,” said a BC Block resident. “Tiles on footpaths have come loose and parks in our ward are so unkempt that I’m forced to head to CA or CD parks — both in different wards for evening walks.
“I want a councillor who works for us regardless of which party we are affiliated to,” said an AA Block resident. “I also want guest houses to play by the rules. They cannot blare loud music all night, disturbing the rest of us.”
Did you receive any pandemic-specific help from any political party: Did not need
Will you go to vote: All said yes
Candidate speak
Ratna Bhaumik (TMC): “I want to provide better roads, street lights and parks. Renovation work shall be completed in the remaining phase of BD Market and I shall push for a community hall in BD Block.”
Priyanka Chakraborty (BJP): Could not be contacted
Sutanuka Bandyopadhyay (CPM): “The drainage infrastructure is crumbling. The Kestopur canal-side blocks have to pay the price. Residents have to buy water in our ward. The road surface level is rising as layers are added during patchwork without scraping off the earlier layers. I will start a helpline for senior citizens and revive the ward committee which used to constitute apolitical residents and people from the opposition in the Left Front regime. I also want to start a security group in association with the police.”
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