Biswabrata Goswami
KRISHNAGAR, 1 DEC: In a decisive step to pull Krishnagar municipality back from the brink of financial distress, municipal administrator and SDO (Sadar) Sharadwati Choudhury has issued an order that casual workers will no longer receive wages for holidays, including Sundays, unless they actually work on those days. The directive, which is effective from 1 December, has triggered considerable discussion across administrative and political circles, particularly as the civic body—once counted among the state’s more vibrant urban local bodies—struggles to manage a burgeoning staff bill and declining revenue.
For the past ten months, Krishnagar municipality’s treasury has been under severe strain due to poor revenue realisation. Salaries have largely been drawn from savings, officials admit, while multiple civic services continue to suffer. The municipality, over 150 years old, has long grappled with chronic issues such as drainage failures, infrastructure bottlenecks, and internal factionalism—problems that intensified as infighting within the Trinamul Congress-run board deepened earlier this year, leading to a virtual administrative paralysis.
After a series of inconclusive meetings involving senior party leadership and councillors in Kolkata, the state government dissolved the board and appointed SDO Sharadwati Choudhury as administrator. She has since taken charge of stabilising both governance and finances.
The latest order, issued on 27 November, cites a 2019 directive from the UD&MA Department prohibiting recruitment of staff without departmental approval. However, despite that rule, nearly 300 casual workers were reportedly engaged in the municipality in recent years. At present, the civic body has 1,326 employees, of whom only 291 are permanent, sources said. The rest are casual workers—many of whom, officials suspect, may lack proper documentation. Allegations also persist that some individuals draw salaries from more than one department.
Questions have repeatedly surfaced about who facilitated these appointments and under whose patronage this expanding casual workforce has operated. Krishnagar municipality has earlier faced CBI scrutiny in recruitment-related cases, while controversies surrounding building plan approvals and mutation fees have also made headlines.
One of the most contentious issues, now resurfacing, is the long-standing practice of casual staff allegedly drawing salaries without performing their assigned duties. The financial impact is substantial: the municipality requires Rs 1.36 crore every month for staff salaries alone, of which Rs 66 lakh goes to casual employees. These payments come directly from the municipal coffers.
At a time when revenue inflows are minimal, the administrator sees cutting expenditure as unavoidable. “Casual staff receiving salary for 31 days does not happen anywhere else,” Sharadwati Choudhury said. “It was being given here. The financial condition of the municipality is very poor. After reviewing the situation, this decision has been taken to improve the treasury. All actions are being taken strictly in accordance with government rules.”
Her order emphasises that Sundays and public holidays cannot be treated as paid days unless work is performed. This marks a sharp contrast to practices in other district establishments, where casual employees typically receive wages for 22 to 24 working days a month.
With the civic body stretched thin and public dissatisfaction lingering over deteriorating services, the administrator’s push for fiscal discipline is being viewed as both necessary and politically sensitive. As Krishnagar struggles to regain administrative stability after months of uncertainty, the coming weeks will determine whether these stringent measures can restore financial order—or lead to fresh confrontations with the large pool of casual workers who stand to lose the most, a senior former councilor said.
