SILCHAR | Former Silchar MLA Dipayan Chakraborty has criticised the decision to exclude former legislators from the dais during the oath-taking ceremony of the first Silchar Municipal Corporation (SMC), describing the move as a reflection of a “narrow-minded mentality”.

In a Facebook post, Chakraborty said the decision would remain recorded in history. He expressed disappointment, arguing that providing seats to the three former legislators – former Silchar MLAs Dilip Paul and Dipayan Chakraborty, and former Udharbond MLA Mihir Kanti Shome – would have sent a positive message.

He stressed that involving everyone was essential for the growth and development of a political party. Chakraborty also defended the development initiatives undertaken by the previous municipality, claiming that several major projects had been completed despite the absence of an elected board for years.

He maintained that the municipality had witnessed significant development during this period, although some tasks remained unfinished. He expressed confidence that the newly elected civic body would take forward the pending work. Highlighting what he described as inad equate recognition of the previous municipality’s achievements, Chakraborty cited improvements at the Meherpur dumping ground, which had remained a longstanding civic concern.

According to him, measures had been taken to improve transportation facilities to the dumping ground, helping reduce garbage accumulation. However, he claimed that the waste accumulation problem had once again returned to its earlier condition. In August 2025, reports indicated that nearly two lakh metric tonnes of legacy waste had accumulated at the Meherpur dumping ground over seven decades.

A Rs 22-crore waste remediation and recovery project was subsequently undertaken, with around 20 per cent of the accumulated waste reportedly processed at the time. Chakraborty maintained that the previous municipality had undertaken several significant development initiatives, but their contributions had not received adequate recognition. He also expressed willingness to participate in an open discussion or public debate on the development work carried out during the previous administration. The first Silchar Municipal Corporation oath-taking ceremony was held at Rajiv Bhavan on November 5, 2026, with all 42 newly elected councillors taking their oaths.