Municipal Commissioner Radhakrishnan B will take over as Administrator at Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) from March 5 onwards, states a notification issued by the Maharashtra Government, on Thursday. The tenure of the current House at NMC ends on March 4 and as there is a possibility of the process of electing the new body getting delayed, for the interim period the Administrator will discharge the duties to ensure smooth conduct of the civic body affairs, said the order issued by Mahesh Pathak, Principal Secretary, Urban Development-2. At the outset, the notification refers to advisory from State Election Commission (SEC) for appointment of an Administrator on Local Self-Government bodies whose tenure is going to end in March-April period.

 

The appointment of the Administrator comes on expected lines as the next elections to NMC are likely to be held either in last week of April or first week of May. This is so as the process to reorganise the wards necessary before elections, and other formality was started quite late due to pandemic situation that has normalised as of now. In addition, the imbroglio over reservations to OBCs in Local Self-Government bodies continues without any immediate solution in sight and there is demand to postpone the elections till the issue is resolved. Hence, State Government is walking a tight rope and as there is no provision in rules for extension to tenure of civic body, Administrator appointment was for sure.

 

In fact, State Government had carried out necessary amendments in Maharashtra Municipal Corporation Act as it was silent about appointment of Administrator once tenure of civic body ends. A minimum of 45-days period is required for holding the elections but as of today the reservations for women, SC and ST are yet to be completed. Now all top officials of State Government are busy with Budget Session of State Legislature and hence the process may start only after its conclusion. Similarly exams of CBSE and State Boards have also started and would continue till mid-April so there would be problem with availability of schools where polling booths are set-up. In between, Municipal Commissioner's budget that he presents to Standing Committee has got delayed.

 

As per procedure, Commissioner's budget for civic body has to be ready by February. However pandemic and its effects on decision making and engagement of civic body bureaucracy with other pressing matters delayed compilation of financial figures. At NMC the situation is quite pathetic as it is functioning sans Chief Finance and Accounts Officer (CAFO) as State Government failed to appoint successor after the incumbent Vijay Kolhe superannuated in month of December. So for city fathers and aspirants enough time is available to consolidate their ground position and formulate their strategy till poll schedule is announced. Given the resentment against the sitting corporators, they would now focus on wooing back the electorate and explain the development works that were carried out during their five-year tenure. Already due to redrawing of Prabhag map there is large scale unhappiness among sitting corporators as their areas of strength have been divided and attached with other Prabhag that makes the battle at hustling more challenging. For new come also already there is discontent as they had expected one member ward system that provided them fair chance. But with notifying of 3-member Prabhag system, now the elections are going to be dependent on strength of party workers.