MUMBAI: Maharashtra state cabinet on Tuesday decided to confer special financial powers to the directly elected civic body chiefs across the state. The decision will ensure speed and transparency in the governance of the small towns, said finance minister Sudhir Mungantiwar.
In its meeting under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis the state cabinet gave its nod to amend the Maharashtra Municipal Council, Nagarpanchayats and Industrial Townships Act, 1965 by way of an ordinance to confer special powers to the city council chiefs who were directly elected from amongst the people last year.
“The amendments have provision for inquiry within a month in any allegations of corruption against such council chiefs and provisions to disqualify such council chiefs. This will ensure transparency and efficiency in the city councils,” Mungantiwar said.
Earlier legislations didn’t have provisions to ensure responsibility of CEOs of the councils in implementing various government schemes. The amendments have provisions for that. This too shall ensure speedy development, he added.
As per the proposed amendments, the directly elected municipal council presidents cannot be removed from their posts in the first two and half years. After that period, corporators demanding removal of the president shall have to provide solid evidence of misbehaviour. The allegations shall be probed by the district collector and if there is any proofs in the allegations then the district collector shall submit his report to the state government. Following which the government shall remove the president from his post.
As per the proposed amendments, instead of the general body meeting being held once in two months, the same shall now be held every month. The opinion of the CEO shall be binding and the CEO shall also be empowered to take part in the deliberations at the meeting. The CEO shall also make factual clarifications. The minutes of the general body meeting shall be finalised within seven days and shall be uploaded on the civic body's official website. The standing committee of the civic body shall have the powers to ratify the decisions taken at the general body meeting.