Patna: Mayors, deputy mayors and councillors across the state have threatened to launch a massive protest if the state govt failed to secure legislative approval to nullify the Bihar Municipal Amendment Act, 2024, during the winter session of the Assembly, commencing on Monday.
According to them, following the passage of the Bill by both houses of the legislature during the monsoon session on July 23, a few provisions in the Act stripped them of their financial and administrative powers.All the municipal bodies of the state together formed a union, which was named ‘Bihar Nagar Nikaya Mahasangh', and Patna mayor Sita Sahu was elected as the president of the union.
During a recent meeting of the local representatives, a decision was taken to launch a series of protests if the state govt does not revoke the Bihar Municipal Amendment Act, 2024. Sahu said the urban development and housing minister, Nitin Nabin, assured that he would get the proposal to bring back the amended bill passed in the legislative assembly. A meeting would be convened on Tuesday to discuss the further plan of the union, she added.
The mayor said, "Though the department revoked some of the changes made in the new Act in August this year, the union wants it to be withdrawn in the Assembly too. If the govt does not listen to us, there will be a massive protest from ‘sadak se sadan tak'—from road to the House."
The sections on which the local representatives raised objections include a sub-section 5 added in section 52, under which it is mentioned that no proposal will be passed or considered against the rules and directives made by the state govt. Other objectionable sections include section 221, which states that the municipal rate for solid waste will be determined by the govt, besides section 60, according to which the agenda of the meeting will be prepared by the municipal commissioners instead of the mayors.
The representatives also raised objections to section 27 B, which states that the executive functions of the municipality for carrying on the administrative work, prescribed by this Act and any rules or bylaws made thereunder, shall be vested in the municipal commissioner.
Ahead of the winter session of the House, a delegation of councillors from the Bihar Councillor Rights Federation met the state Congress president Akhilesh Prasad Singh and the leader of the legislative party, Shakeel Ahmed Khan, on Sunday and submitted a memorandum of seven-point demands of the councillors. They urged them that the state govt has brought the condition of the representatives of the local bodies to a pitiable condition by amending the daily notification and the Act.
The delegation urged the netas that their problem should be raised in the legislative assembly so that the democracy that has ended in the local body can be restored again. The councillors' delegation included Vinay Kumar Pappu, Jeet Kumar, Raviprakash Bablu, Jaiprakash Yadav, Sunil Yadav, Vinod Yadav and Mukesh Kumar.