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Standing chairman to challenge appointment of PMC administrator
PUNE Hemant Rasane, standing committee chairman of dissolved Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), said legal options are been considered to challenge the state government’s decision to appoint municipal commissioner as administrator of civic body
PUNE Hemant Rasane, standing committee chairman of dissolved Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), said legal options are been considered to challenge the state government’s decision to appoint municipal commissioner as administrator of civic body.
The Maha Vikas Aghadi government appointed municipal commissioner Vikram Kumar as the administrator of PMC as its tenure ended on March 14.
Rasane said, “The present standing committee along with its chairman is a legal committee and it should continue till the next panel is constituted after the civic polls. We have sent a notice to the municipal commissioner, and the municipal administration have replied that all committees seize to function after the end of corporators’ tenure.”
“We are discussing the issue with lawyers and legal experts. Standing committee is a permanent body and it should continue to function like Rajya Sabha or Legislative Council. We plan to challenge the appointment in court.”
Municipal secretary Shivaji Daundkar said, “After receiving the letter from the standing chairman, we replied after seeking the state government’s guidelines.”
An official from the administrative department on condition of anonymity said, “Once a member’s tenure is over, how can he or she remain on that post? Primary qualification is that they should a member of the House or municipal corporation. The rule applies for all municipal corporations.”
PMC standing committee member Vishal Tambe said, “If our membership as PMC member ends, how can we remain on that committee?”
As the state assembly decided to postpone civic polls across the state over reservation for OBC category, civic chiefs were appointed as administrators for PMC and PCMC as its tenure had ended.
The sub-section of Section 452(A) of the Maharashtra Municipal Corporation Act, 1949 reads, “if the state election commission has brought to the notice of the state government that it is not possible for it to conduct the general elections to the corporation within the period specified, then the state government may appoint a government officer for exercising all the powers and performing all the functions and duties of the corporation under this Act till the formation of a new general body”.
Meanwhile, former corporators fear the municipal commissioner, appointed as administrator, can work under the pressure of the state government and take policy decisions in the interest of those ruling the government.
“A local corporator is the go-to person for residents of the area and they share common grounds and understand civic issues. The administration should take steps to fill this communication gap. The administrator appointed by the state government can never completely fulfil the needs of citizens as an elected representative and policy decisions should always be vested on those chosen by the electorate,” a former corporator said, on condition of anonymity.
