Ranchi mayor seeks administrator, threatens demonstration

Ranchi Mayor Rama Khalko on Friday said he would stage a sit-in demonstration in front of the governor's residence here to seek an administrator for the Jharkhand capital's civic body.

Ranchi Mayor Rama Khalko on Friday said he would stage a sit-in demonstration in front of the governor's residence here to seek an administrator for the Jharkhand capital's civic body.

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The Ranchi Municipal Corporation (RMC) has seen five administrators, a post equivalent to a chief executive officer, in the last one year and the body has no one in the position right now.

"I am planning to demonstrate in front of the governor's house to get a permanent administrator. Ranchi is facing scores of problems and we are unable to discharge our duties in the absence of an administrator," Rama Khalko told reporters.

The mayor does not have financial powers which are vested with the administrator and, therefore, the mayor depends on administrators for every work.

The municipal body elections took place in May last year in Jharkhand after a gap of 30 years when Khalko was elected mayor.

"The state government is creating such a situation that we can not work," Khalko said.

Khalko plans to hand over a memorandum to Governor Syed Sibte Razi May 12, demanding that the post of administrator be filled and if the demand is not met the mayor would sit in protest outside the governor's residence.

In the absence of an administrator, funds amounting to Rs.34 crore (Rs.340 million) meant for the development of slum areas have not been utilised, officials said. The amount was granted to RMC under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM).