The Calcutta Municipal Corporation (CMC) will no longer be referred to as ?chorporation?, the city?s next mayor, Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya of the CPM, promised on Tuesday, moments after he was declared elected from ward 100.

?The CMC suffers from an image problem because of the corruption that exists there,? Bhattacharya said. ?Bribes exchange hands before any work gets done. This has to stop. Our board will do its work honestly and efficiently.?

Between accepting congratulations from an unending stream of visitors, answering calls and even attending a few meetings, Bhattacharya spoke to Metro, spelling out his priorities as the next mayor.

?I will initiate projects for the city?s development as that is very important. But the progress will not be at the cost of poorer residents,? he asserted.

Bhattacharya added that the first thing he would do as a mayor is launch schemes for the city?s sprawling slums.

?Calcutta as a whole will certainly be developed, but my first priority is to make the slums a better place to live in. There will be proper drainage, sanitation and water supply in the slums.?

The mayor-to-be continued: ?The beauty of Calcutta should not be limited to Victoria Memorial. It should be extended to all areas, including slums, which have to be treated as part of the city. If the slums are improved, it will reflect on Calcutta as a whole.?

Bhattacharya attributed the victory to the work done by the Left Front government. ?My win reflects the success of the developmental programmes undertaken by the Left Front government. All the flyovers that have come up in the city are state government projects that have impacted the lives of the voters positively.?

With red abir smeared all over and bandaged right leg, Bhattacharya said that repair of roads would certainly figure on the top of his ?must-do? list. He had broken his leg last month while campaigning, after stepping into a pothole in a poorly-lit Jadavpur street.

?Residents of Calcutta can rest assured that we will do our best to make the city a better place to live in. No section of the society will be neglected. If slum-dwellers are provided all facilities, including education, those with cars will be given better roads to drive on,? Bhattacharya stated.

He expressed a desire to travel to different parts of the city, meet people and seek their views on how to improve Calcutta.

?We shall collectively make the city a better place,? Bhattacharya said. ?This will come about through interaction with people from all walks of life and by ascertaining their opinions.?

The mayor-to-be, a leading lawyer, however, regretted that he won?t be able to continue his legal practice.