HYDERABAD: The best of Norway and the Australian state of Victoria may soon find its way into Telangana, as the State government finalises the New Municipal Act. Officials in the Municipal Administration department are hard at work preparing a draft of the bill by May 23.
Official sources said they needed to meet Chief Secretary SK Joshi to fine-tune the draft of the bill.
Sources said Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao will hold discussions on the matter, and finalise the draft, only after May 23 -- when Lok Sabha results are announced.
The State government will summon the Assembly for a session in June or July to pass the Bill and later, go for elections to municipalities and corporations.
An official told Express they had studied municipal governance in Scandinavian countries such as Norway and also in Victoria state of Australia.
“The Chief Minister told us to make the new Act ‘painless’ for citizens. Currently, the systems has several problems in relation to building permissions, issue of trade licenses and town planning. The new Act will solve these problems,” he said. Official sources said the new Act would be transparent, on the lines of TS-iPASS, the State’s industrial policy.
‘Will cater to cities’ needs for 25-30 years’
Official sources said the new Act would be transparent, on the lines of TS-iPASS, the State’s new industrial policy. This would mean there would a single window system that would make officials in local bodies more accountable to the public. The new Act is also likely to have a penalty clause to punish citizens and realtors for violation of rules. The new Act will cover all aspects in municipal governance. It will be prepared in a way that caters to the requirements of cities for the next 25 to 30 years, said an official.