Ward committees delayed

According to the 74th amendment of the Indian Constitution two years ago , the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation was to set up three new bodies 8211; the Finance Commission, the ward committees and a Department of Women and Child Welfare. This was decided to further decentralise power within the corporation.

In September 1997, civic group leaders had unanimously decided to set up 16 committees by April this year but delay in the passage of the Mayor-in-Council Bill in the legislature has stymied plans for the timebeing.

While the Finance Commission was set up last year, the other two bodies failed to take shape. Says Khire, 8220;Now that the new mayor is to be elected on April 23, the committees and the department will be formed around the same time.8221; Earlier, the corporators had demanded that 21 committees be set up, covering almost every one of the 23 civic wards in Mumbai. However, the administration argued, some of the wards were too small to justify the expense and that these could be clubbed with others.

The number was finally fixed at 16. Accordingly, A, B and C wards and S and T wards have been clubbed as one.

Members would include local corporators apart from administrative staff. Meeting once a month, each committee would have the power to pass public works proposals up to Rs 5 lakh, to curb administrative delays hampering smaller works, says an additional municipal commissioner. 8220;This is a good idea to solve local problems,8221; he adds.

However, some corporators did express apprehensions that clubbingsome wards would facilitate some corporators to get their proposals passed as this would help them secure a majority.

Sardar Tara Singh of the Bharatiya Janata Party had said that the allocation of public works should be divided properly among all the wards to avoid conflict of interests.