Church body writes to Bengal CM accusing TMC councillor of trying to occupy its property

Kolkata, July 12 – The Diocese of Calcutta Church, an association of churches in Kolkata, on Friday wrote to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee accusing a local Trinamool Congress councillor of interfering in the land under the control of a church-run nursing college and threatening to occupy it.

The controversy has arisen over the recent renovation work within the premises of Sister Florence College of Nursing at Diamond Harbour Road on the southern outskirts of Kolkata, operated by the Calcutta Diocesan Trust Association.

The Diocese of Calcutta Church has said that a local Trinamool councillor and his associates are constantly interfering in the renovation work. It also complained to the Chief Minister that there was an attempt to occupy an open field owned by the church trust.

The persons accused in the matter are Sudip Polle and his associates. Polle is the Trinamool councillor from ward number 123 of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation

According to the Diocese representative Raghab Nayek, recently when the renovation work was being done, the associates of the councillor reached there and objected to the renovation. They told the people present there to ask the church authorities to get in touch with the councillor, Nayek said and added that the authorities thought it wise to bring the matter to the notice of the Chief Minister and hence have forwarded a communiqué to her detailing the matter. It has also been brought to the notice of the Kolkata mayor and the municipal affairs & urban development minister Firhad Hakim.

Polle, however, has denied the charges and said that he objected to the illegal filling up of the water body there by the authorities. “The corporation has already sent a notice to the authorities on this count. As a councillor, it is my duty to stop illegal construction in my area,” he said.

Nayek denied the charges of the illegal filling up of the water body. He said that the beautification of the water body has been completed recently.