The Times of India 07.08.2012
Mayors seek more power
JAIPUR: Four mayors of the state presented a memorandum to the governor Margaret Alva demanding implementation of the 74th constitutional Amendment Act on Monday.Mayors of five municipal corporations were in the city to participate
the in the mayor council meet.
The mayors said they needed more powers –
administrative and financial – to ensure better development in their
areas. City mayor, Jyoti Khandewal said, “We have been assured that talk will be held soon with chief minister Ashok Gehlot and UDH minster, Shanti Dhariwal.” In the council mayor of Jaipur, Kota, Ajmer and Bikaner participated, while Jodhpur mayor did not attend the meetingDuring the meeting the mayors also made discussion on their demand that
the mayors should have the power to fill the annual confidential report
(ACR) of the chief executive officer. “If the power of filling the ACR
comes under the jurisdiction of the mayor a lot of problems will be
resolved.” added KhandelwalIt was also discussed that chief
executive officer misuse their financial power as the mayors are not
kept in the loop. Bikaner mayor Bhavani Shankar Sharma
said, ” Without consulting the mayor, the CEO uses the funds.
” Agreeing
to the fact, mayors explained people have a wrong notion that a mayor
can do everything and has unlimited powers and resources at his/her
disposal. They are perhaps oblivious of the fact that a mayor has
absolutely no or rather minimal financial and administrative powers at
his/her disposal and instead it is the municipal commissioner who wields
real and unchallenged power.Khandelwal claimed, we are
demanding to seek revision in 74th constitutional Amendment Act and its
implementation on the lines of southern states which provide a
city-government concept where mayor gets the right to transfer of the
officers.In the meeting the city mayor also informed that she recently met UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi in this regard.
