Himachal to get 2 more municipal corporations

The number of municipal corporations in Himachal Pradesh is proposed to be increased to three as the government has decided to delegate more powers and autonomy to local bodies for development of the areas under them.

While Shimla was the only corporation in the state till now, the municipal committees at Solan and Dharamsala will be upgraded, according to the proposal.

On Sunday, Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal assured the All India Council of Mayors, which had gathered in Shimla for a two-day national executive meeting, that all their recommendations about implementation of the 73rd and 74th amendment of the Constitution would be adopted by the government.

“However the municipal corporations and other local bodies should also be aware and be prepared for the responsibilities that come with autonomy. Financial responsibilities and liabilities will also have to be borne by the MCs and they should not always look towards the state for waiving off their debt,” said the CM.

Earlier, Urban Development Minister Mahinder Singh said: “The state government has cleared decks for upgrading two municipal committees and the process will be completed after Census operations are over and fresh figures are out.”

Talking to The Indian Express later, the minister said: “Both Solan and Dharamsala townships fulfill the criterion of a population of 50,000 and we are sure the latest Census figures will take the figure beyond one lakh. The nagar panchayats and nagar parishads will go to polls in December, but the municipal committees at the two proposed towns are still nearly one-and-a- half years away from polls. And even if the elections are held before their notification as corporations, the polls in the new setup will be held again.”

Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Uma Shankar Gupta, who was former president of the mayor’s council, said corporations would have to take some harsh decisions to improve their financial status for a complete autonomy.