VIJAYAWADA: The State government has decided to appoint two deputy mayors in municipal corporations and two vice-chairpersons in the municipalities. As per the notification issued by the State Election Commission (SEC), the election of mayors and deputy mayors in the municipal corporations and chairpersons and vice-chairpersons in the municipalities/nagar panchayats will be held on March 18. The government decided to come up with an ordinance in a day or two and to issue a supplementary notification for electing two deputy mayors and vice-chairpersons.
Speaking to mediapersons at the Secretariat on Tuesday, Panchayat Raj and Rural Development Minister Peddireddy Ramachandra Reddy said that Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has taken the decision to increase the number of deputy mayors and municipal vice-chairpersons to two to ensure more accountability and extend better services to the people. Reacting to the verdict of the AP High Court, which dismissed the SEC decision to inquire into the unanimous elections happened to MPTCs/ZPTCs, the minister said that the verdict vindicated the government’s stand.
In fact, the SEC had filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court stating that the election process for MPTCs/ZPTCs will be resumed from where it was stopped. Later, the SEC has taken a different stand, the minister said. He urged the SEC to complete the elections to the MPTCs/ZPTCs before his retirement as there are no legal hurdles now.