E-Paper
Mayors yet to be fully empowered
EMPOWERMENT OF mayors through implementing the 74th Constitutional Amendment Act by the State Government may help boost the development activities in the cities.
EMPOWERMENT OF mayors through implementing the 74th Constitutional Amendment Act by the State Government may help boost the development activities in the cities.
Allahabad Nagar Nigam sources pointed out that Act confers wide powers on the mayor to rule the Nagar Nigam. Besides, it empowers the mayors to head all the development agencies like State Urban Development Agency SUDA, District Urban Development Agency DUDA and other development agencies. However, the empowerment of mayors as enshrined in the Act is yet to be done by the State Government.
Even the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's dream project to develop the cities on modern pattern under Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) clearly states about giving more powers to mayor for all round development of the city.
It may be mentioned that Allahabad city is one of seven cities in the State selected for development under the JNNURM. Launching of this scheme in a successful manner is biggest challenge for new mayor Chaudhary Jitendra Nath Singh who took oath on November 16.
According to Legal experts the functions of the municipality, including those listed in the Twelfth Schedule of Indian Constitution, are left to the discretion of the State Government. Local bodies have to be bestowed with adequate powers, authority and responsibility to perform the functions entrusted to them by the Act. However, the Act has not provided them with any powers directly and has instead left it to the state government's discretion. The Act did address devolution of powers and responsibilities. However, the devolution of powers commensurate with the relevant responsibilities is left to the discretion of the state government concerned.
This leaves it open to the States to devolve powers, together with the challenge of determining whether what is devolved can be managed in terms of sufficient capability and availability of funds.
