MUMBAI: The state cabinet on Wednesday approved a proposal for the appointment of an administrator to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation. The term of the current BMC House ends on March 8. However, the state election commission has made it clear that elections cannot be held before March 7. The cabinet approved the amendment to the BMC Act, 1888 to allow the appointment of an administrator. This is the second time that an administrator is being appointed to the BMC whose tenure will be till the first session of the BMC house after the civic elections.
The third wave of the Covid pandemic, the increase in electoral wards from 227 to 236 has been cited as reason for the delay in holding the elections by the state election commission. However, it was the deletion of electoral reservations for the other Backward Communities in local bodies that was the key factor in delaying the local body elections. None of the political parties wanted to go ahead without electoral reservations for the OBC that form a significant section of the electorate.
The Justice AV Nirgude (retd) led commission for Backward Classes has supported the Maharashtra government’s 27% quota for the OBC community. In its interim report, it has said data from SARAL and UDISE indicates in the state more than 35% of the population belongs to the OBC community.
The new ward boundaries for the 15 municipal corporations for which elections are to be held were published by the state election commission on February 1 along with the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes population in each ward. The state election commission has shown its inclination to include OBC reservation for the local body polls. Objections/suggestions to the ward boundaries can be submitted upto February 14 while a hearing on the objections/suggestions will be held on February 26 and final report will be submitted by March 2.
The BMC administration recently presented the budget for the 2022-23 financial year. With the new House unlikely to be formed anytime soon the budget will be deemed to have been passed, said municipal commissioner Iqbal Chahal.
The last time an administrator was appointed to the BMC was between April 1, 1984 to April 25, 1985. DM Sukhtankar, who went on to become the state’s chief secretary was appointed as administrator.
The third wave of the Covid pandemic, the increase in electoral wards from 227 to 236 has been cited as reason for the delay in holding the elections by the state election commission. However, it was the deletion of electoral reservations for the other Backward Communities in local bodies that was the key factor in delaying the local body elections. None of the political parties wanted to go ahead without electoral reservations for the OBC that form a significant section of the electorate.
The Justice AV Nirgude (retd) led commission for Backward Classes has supported the Maharashtra government’s 27% quota for the OBC community. In its interim report, it has said data from SARAL and UDISE indicates in the state more than 35% of the population belongs to the OBC community.
The new ward boundaries for the 15 municipal corporations for which elections are to be held were published by the state election commission on February 1 along with the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes population in each ward. The state election commission has shown its inclination to include OBC reservation for the local body polls. Objections/suggestions to the ward boundaries can be submitted upto February 14 while a hearing on the objections/suggestions will be held on February 26 and final report will be submitted by March 2.
The BMC administration recently presented the budget for the 2022-23 financial year. With the new House unlikely to be formed anytime soon the budget will be deemed to have been passed, said municipal commissioner Iqbal Chahal.
The last time an administrator was appointed to the BMC was between April 1, 1984 to April 25, 1985. DM Sukhtankar, who went on to become the state’s chief secretary was appointed as administrator.
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