Govt proposes change in Act to clip civic chief’s wings

Nagpur: The state government has proposed to make the general body’s no-confidence motion on civic chiefs as a final one and binding on it for implementation. The move is seen as giving more powers to the ruling party and putting a leash on IAS officials.
For this purpose, the government has proposed to amend the Maharashtra Municipal Corporations (MMC) Act 1949. A bill in this regard is likely to come up in the ongoing budget session of the state legislature.
At present, the government is having powers to decide on the no-confidence motion passed on civic chiefs by the general body in municipal corporations and municipal councils. Many times, the government does not accept the motion.
The government even proposes to make it mandatory to record the no-confidence motion in the annual confidential report (ACR) and annual performance appraisal report (APAR) of civic chiefs. The government will have to ratify the proposal with the Centre.
Leader of opposition in state assembly Vijay Wadettiwar said the move will give powers to ruling party to do whatever it wishes. “It will make IAS officials insecure and they will be forced to follow the diktats of the ruling party. The BJP is ruling in many corporations. It, therefore, wants to give advantages to its office bearers in civic bodies. This will hamper the system of watchdog mechanism in the civic bodies,” he said.
City BJP president Pravin Datke, who is also a former mayor and ruling party leader in the Nagpur Municipal Corporation, and Sandip Joshi welcomed the move.
“Public representatives in civic bodies raise issues in public interest. Many times IAS officials are reluctant to implement the demands of corporators. Also, the officials who come here for a short period implement their own agenda overlooking the old plans of corporators. The move will put an end to monopoly of officials,” said Joshi.
Joshi also said the government should transfer all powers to civic bodies excluding deletion/change in reservations in city’s development plan. “Proposals go to the government for implementation after general body’s resolution. It will help in speedy and proper implementation of general body’s decision,” he said.
Datke denied the move will come as deterrence for IAS officials. “Instead, it will help in giving equal powers to the administration and office bearers,” he said.
A retired IAS official, on the condition of anonymity, said the move will make everyone insecure. “A majority of officials do not fear transfers and continue to work for the government and public. This move will make the officials hapless and forced to follow the directives of general body,” he said.
A no-confidence motion is often used by the office bearers as an instrument to fulfil their demands. The tenure of the last IAS official Virendra Singh in the NMC is a fine example. Singh had denied approval to one-time-settlement scheme to OCW citing it would incur a huge loss.
Singh formed a committee to verify the works approved by the standing committee. He launched an online building plan approval system. All these irked the office bearers who warned Singh about a no-confidence motion against him. Knowing about it, Singh went on leave and ensured his transfer within five months of joining.
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IN A NUTSHELL
* Mostly IAS officials are appointed as civic chiefs in municipal corporations and senior chief officer rank holders in municipal councils
* Difference of opinion arises between civic chiefs and office bearers many times
* There is a provision for general body to pass no confidence motion on civic chiefs
*No confidence motion means transfer of civic chief
*Government has powers to accept no confidence motion
* Ruling party often uses no confidence motion as an instrument to press for its demands
* Government proposes to make general body’s decision in this regard final and binding on it for implementation
* A no-confidence motion will be recorded in the officers’ ACR