Chatterjee, who has been nominated by his party to become the next Mayor and is set to take oath next week, had called a meeting of the drainage department officials to take stock of the situation in view of the approaching monsoon season.

After the officials abstained from the meeting, which was scheduled at 2 pm at KMC headquarters, irate Trinamool councillors termed it the sign of politicisation of civic officials carried out by the outgoing Left Front.

“How can this happen? In Kolkata, there is a problem of waterlogging and we have to work on war footing to stop it. There is no time left. But the officers did not turn up. We waited and waited,” said Chatterjee.

The Trinamool delegation had to wait for several hours after which they registered their protest to KMC Commissioner Arnab Roy.

“The outgoing Board led by the CPM mayor is engaged in dirty politics. They are making officers the scapegoats. Officials and KMC staff are public servants and have to be neutral, but CPM has politicised the workforce,” Chatterjee added.

Sources in the KMC said the officials thought that it would be in appropriate to attend the meeting called by Chatterjee, who is yet to take the oath of office. According to them, the present Board is still functioning under Mayor Bikas Ranjan Bhattacharya and it was not appropriate to attend the meeting called by nominated mayor.

Sacchidananda Banerjee, the nominated KMC chairman and who was a part of Trinamool delegation, objected to the officials’ contention saying, “As councillors we can call meetings in KMC. We have a right to know what is the drainage condition in the city.”