THE five-year term of the civic general body of the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation elected in 2017 came to an end on Sunday. Now, the municipal commissioner will serve as the administrator.
“The civic general body meeting stands dissolved. From tomorrow, I will serve as the administrator as well,” Municipal Commissioner Rajesh Patil said.
When asked whether his administration would take suggestions and complaints from the outgoing 128 corporators, Patil said, “Anyone can make suggestions and complaints… we will be at the beck and call of every citizen.”
Additional Municipal Commissioner Vikas Dhakane said, “Now that the civic general body stands dissolved, all the powers of the civic standing committee and the civic general body will be transferred to the commissioner. Patil will serve both as the municipal commissioner and administrator.”
Dhakane said the meetings of the standing committee will be held without corporators. “Various departments and officers will put forth proposal in the meetings. The commissioner will reserve the right to either approve the proposals or reject them,” he said. Earlier, for a period of five years, the powers had vested with the chairman of the standing committee. The BJP, which enjoyed the majority in PCMC, had the maximum members in the civic standing committee as well. As a result, the chairmen was also from the BJP. Dhakane said like the civic standing committee, the meetings of the civic general body will also be held. “Officials will move proposals and the commissioner-administrator, who will preside over the meetings, will take the call,” he said.
Outgoing BJP corporator Seema Savale, who is also the former chairperson of the civic standing committee, said, “Though we have become former corporators, we still have the right to raise citizens’ issues with the administration…If we find that the administration is not meeting the expectations of the people, we will keep the pressure on it.”
In the outgoing civic general body meeting, PCMC had 128 corporators. As per the new ward delimitation plan, the civic general body will have 139 corporators.
Meanwhile, political parties and leaders believe the elections will be held in the next two months. “Though there are speculations that the government will postpone the elections by another six months, I think they will be held in the next two months,” said Savale. NCP spokesperson Yogesh Behl said, “As of now, there is no clear indications on the civic elections. We are waiting for an announcement from the government. We are hoping that the civic elections are held in the next two-three months.” Behl said they are worried whether the civic administration will pay heed to citizens’ complaints and suggestions. “If it doesn’t, we will approach Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and lodge our complaint with him. But we hope the administration will remain efficient,” he said.
