IE : Soon, rulees to make corporators mind their conduct : Nov 12,2007

 Soon, rulees to make corporators mind their conduct

DHAVAL KULKARNI
MUMBAI, NOVEMBER 11
·         A lady corporator flings a chair during the general body meeting of the Kalyan Dom­bivali Municipal Corporation (KDMC) when the National Anthem was in progress.
·         Corporators use unpar­liamentary language while dis­cussing a proposal during a committee meeting in the BMC.
 
SUCH unruly behav­iour by corporators S may be a thing of the past if the government's plan to disqualify the er­rant members comes through.


It is planning to include a provision in the acts gov­erning the municipal cor­porations in the state on the lines of a section in the Maharashtra Municipal Councils, Nagar Panchayat and Industrial Townships Act, 1965, wherein an elected representative can be suspended from the membership of the house for disgraceful con­duct.


The Mumbai Municipal Corporation Act, 1888, Bombay Provisional Mu­nicipal Corporation Act, 1949 and the Nagpur Mu­nicipal Corporation Act will have to be amended ac­cordingly. Senior officials from the state Urban De­velopment department however pointed out that the definition of disgrace­ful conduct depended on the circumstances and con­text. The advent of modern technology had given a new meaning and dimension to the issue; with the emer­gence of cyber crime and the use of SMS to harass or intimidate people.
 
Currently, no action can be taken in such cases due to the lack of such specific provisions; Senior officials however feel that the definition of disgraceful conduct depended on the circumstances and context
 
However, incidents like throwing objects in the civic house, running away with the Mayor's mace, us­ing abusive language, mis­behaviour, conduct under the influence of alcohol and assaulting civic officials would be covered under the provision. Currently, no action can be taken in such cases in the municipal corporation due to the lack of such specific provisions.be ing in force in the municipal councils, there were very! few cases of elected repre­sentatives being suspended for such rowdy behaviour as ; such cases were difficult to - prove. However, if such ' charges are proved, the elected representatives con­cerned could be disqualified from continuing as councilors in the rest of their term and also be disqualified from contesting elections for the next five years.
 
In the local bodies cur­rently covered by the Ma­harashtra Municipal Coun­cils, Nagar Panchayat and Industrial Townships Act, the district collector can is­sue a show cause notice to members accused of such conduct. If he is satisfied that the conduct of the elected representative is a fit case for action, he can' disqualify the concerned person, who can later ap­peal to the state govern­ment.
 
However, the joint com­mittee of the state legisla­ture before whom the issue was placed recently, pro­posed changes to the acts ', governing the municipal corporations, wherein the general body of the concerned municipal cor­poration will be given a one month period to decide on the disqualification case. The matter will later come to the state govern- ,
 

Publication : IE; Section : Mumbai; Pg : 3; Date : 12/11/07