Direct Poll For ULB Chiefs, Mayors In Odisha; Govt Seeks Objections On Draft Rules

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has set the ball rolling of Urban Local Bodies (ULB) elections by seeking suggestions on the ‘direct election’ of the Mayors of Municipal Corporation and NAC Chairman.

On Friday, the Housing & Urban Development Department issued a draft notification to amend the Odisha Municipal Rules 1994 for chairpersons and mayors to be directly elected by the people.

According to the draft, a candidate can contest for both councillor and chairperson’s posts but retain only one if elected in both. Every nomination paper has to be signed by two electors of the urban local body. there would be separate ballot boxes, one for the election of the chairperson and the other for the councillor during polling.

At present, corporators elect the mayor of a municipal corporation while councillors of a municipality elect the chairman.

DELAY IN URBAN POLLS

The urban polls have been pending for more than two years with the government yet to amend the existing laws to determine the reservation and delimitation of seats.

In 2018, the Orissa High Court on a PIL had asked the government not to exceed 50 per cent reservation of seats for the SC, ST and OBC in the non-scheduled areas. It was upheld by the Supreme Court when the government challenged it later that year.

The reservation of seats for SC, ST and OBC in the ULB polls will be possible only after necessary amendments to the existing Orissa Municipal Act-1950 and Orissa Municipal Corporation Act-2003.

The Odisha assembly had passed two bills in September 2018 for the elections of chairpersons and mayors through direct voting. The Odisha Municipal (amendment) Bill and the Odisha Municipal Corporation (amendment) Bill were passed in the absence of the Opposition.

The rules of the Bills, however, have not been formulated so far.

Almost after three years, the government has now sought the opinion of the general public to amend the Odisha Municipal (Delimitation of Wards, Reservation of Seats and Conduct of Election) Rules, 1994.

The tenure of 65 ULBs, including Berhampur Municipal Corporation, has expired since September 29, 2018, while 48 civic bodies including Bhubaneswar, Rourkela and Sambalpur municipal corporations completed two years of their term on February 13 this year.