Polls delayed, Maharashtra cabinet to appoint administrator at BMC

“The state election commission has communicated to the government to appoint administrators to all corporations after the expiry of the terms, stating that it is not possible to hold the election before that due to Covid and increase in the number of seats of local bodies leading to delimitation of the ward boundaries,” said an official.

The official further said that at present, there is no provision in the MMC Act 1888 regarding the appointment of the administrator. “Hence, an ordinance will be promulgated to amend the MMC Act. The appointment of the administrator will be valid till the date of the first meeting of the Corporation to be held after the elections,” added the official.

Sources said an administrator was appointed to BMC between April 1, 1984, and May 9, 1985. In 1990, the BMC elections were deferred for two years due to the assembly elections and reservation for women in local bodies but instead of appointing an administrator, the then government had extended the term of the elected representatives by two years.

Apart from BMC, terms of the Thane, Nashik, Pune, Pimpri-Chinchwad, Solapur, Amravati, Akola and Nagpur civic bodies will expire in the first half of March while the term of Ulhasnagar Municipal Corporation will expire in the first week of April.

“The administrators to all these 10 municipal corporations will be appointed after the expiry of the corporation term. The Maharashtra Municipal Corporations Act 1949 has the provision, made around two years back, of appointing the administrators to the corporations.

Since Mumbai didn’t have the provision, the amendment to the MMC Act has to be made. The administrators will be there in all these corporations till the first meeting of the corporation is held after the elections,” said an official.

State Election Commission officials said the draft ward boundaries of BMC have been published and suggestions and objections have been invited from the public on them. “Due to OBC reservation and increase in the number of seats, there is a delay in finalising the ward boundaries. We are hoping to get clarity on the OBC quota after the SC hearing next week. Then, we can proceed with the reservation lottery,” said an official.