Citizens need more say in corporation areas: Hazare

Citizens should have more powers in their hands,Hazare said. “Provisions similar to those of Gram Sabha should be made in the present act to give more powers to the citizens of municipal corporation area,” he said.

As per the 74th Amendment in the Constitution,the government is entitled to make provisions for ward meetings for people residing in municipal corporation areas. Though the central government carried out the 73rd constitutional amendment of making provisions for Gram Sabha in Gram Panchayat areas in 1994.

It came up with the Act for the 74th constitutional amendment only in 2009,after which the state government put the relevant Act in place.

Hazare and other activists had criticised the Act,saying the provisions were not satisfactory.

The state government while taking cognisance of Hazare’s stand,formed a committee under his chairmanship to review the Act.

The committee is of the view that citizens should have right to call back the corporator they have elected if he/she does not perform well.

The committee also showed disappointment over the provision of the Act that says the chairmanship of ward meetings should be given to the corporator of the ward concerned.

Hazare said the committee had made a new format of the Act and the government should invite suggestions from citizens on the committee’s recommendations.