COMMENTARY
SPECIALS
INTERVIEWS
CAPITAL BUZZ
REDIFF POLL
DEAR REDIFF
THE STATES
YEH HAI INDIA!
ELECTIONS
ARCHIVES

Maharashtra assembly scraps mayor-in-council

The Maharashtra Legislative Assembly today passed a bill scrapping the mayor-in-council system and reviving the earlier municipal administration system while strengthening the office of mayor in the Bombay Municipal Corporation and City of Nagpur Corporation.

Replying to a two-hour debate on the bill, Chief Minister Narayan Rane said the MiC system lacked transparency.

He said he had discussed the amendments to the Bombay Municipal Corporation Act with members of the Opposition before tabling the bill in the House.

Rane made it clear that the MiC system was not being scrapped because it was his predecessor Manohar Joshi's idea.

The BMC Act was amended last year to vest the governance of the corporation in a body of elected representatives. The system was expected to lead to accelerated decision-making. But that did not happen.

The amended bill proposes to make the office of mayor a statutory municipal authority by giving him additional powers.

It also seeks to strengthen the corporation and its committees by making it mandatory for the commissioner to implement their decisions.

The corporation will have a deputy mayor who will be appointed by the mayor. The deputy mayor's term will be co-terminus with that of the mayor.

Under the amended bill, no contract other than one relating to the acquisition of immovable property or any interest which involves an expenditure exceeding Rs1 million but not exceeding Rs2 million shall be made by the commissioner unless approved by the mayor.

For contracts involving an expenditure of more than Rs2 million, the standing committee's approval will be necessary.

The corporation will appoint a primary education consultative committee and an improvements committee.

The commissioner will be responsible for implementing the decisions of the corporation, the standing committee, improvements committee, the Bombay Electric Supply and Transport undertaking committee, and the education committee.

The committees should obtain and consider the commissioner's views before adopting any resolution.

The commissioner can seek a direction from the state government if he feels that a resolution adopted or decision taken by the corporation or any committee is against the provisions of law or will lead to wastage or diversion of municipal funds.

The state government shall, within 40 days of receipt of such reference, issue a direction to the commissioner on whether to implement the decision. This direction will be binding on the corporation or the committee concerned.

The bill now goes to the legislative council. Members of the Lower House belonging to the Janata Dal and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) walked out in protest against the bill.

UNI

Tell us what you think of this report