Bengal municipal scam: ED issues notices to 11 more urban civic bodies

Kolkata, Aug 31 (IANS) After Diamond Harbour in South 24 Parganas, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday sent notices to 11 other municipalities in the state in connection with the multi- crore recruitment case in urban civic bodies in West Bengal.

In the notices, the central agency has sought details of the recruitments done in these 11 municipalities since 2014.

These 11 municipalities are scattered over the three districts of North 24 Parganas, South 24 Parganas and Nadia.

On Wednesday, the ED, who is running a parallel probe along with the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the case, served a notice to the Diamond Harbour Municipality in South 24 Parganas district seeking clarifications on certain recruitments in 2016. 

According to observers, the serving notices to 11 other municipalities just a day after is a clear indication that the central agencies are all set to accelerate their pace of investigation in the multi- crore municipalities’ recruitment scam.

They also feel that the accelerated pace of the probe has been probably prompted by the recent order by the Calcutta High Court’s single-judge bench of Justice Amrita Sinha this week directing that henceforth the central agency probe in the municipalities’ recruitment case will be
court-monitored.

She also directed the central agencies to expedite the pace of investigation on this count and nab the kingpins behind the alleged scam.

The original order for the central agency probe in the case was given by Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay of the Calcutta High Court.

Later, the matter was referred to the court of Justice Sinha, who had also upheld the earlier order.

However, the state government challenged the order at the Supreme Court. But, recently the apex court too has upheld the Calcutta High Court orders and directed the central agencies to carry on with their investigation in the matter.