Ward officers likely to get more powers

MUMBAI, July 23: In a significant development, the Mayor-in-Council on Wednesday decided to delegate power to the ward officers and redesignate them as `assistant municipal commissioners’. There are 23 ward officers.

The enhanced power will enable the ward officers to even take decisions on behalf of the municipal commissioner. This move is expected to ease the pressure on deputy municipal commissioners and afford them more time to concentrate on other tasks.

The council also accepted the recommendations of Sukhtankar panel, set up to look into the salary structure of employees of the officers grade. The officers will now be entitled to a hike between Rs 4,000 and Rs 4,500 per month. The hike, which will be effective from July, 1997, will entail a burden of Rs 14.99 crore as arrears.