CHENNAI: The State Government decision changing the existing system of holding election to the post of Mayor of municipal corporations and Chairperson of municipalities and town panchayats has drawn flak from activists in the area of local self-government.

They say the government assuming powers to remove the mayors or deputy mayors of municipal corporations is not in consonance with the 74th Constitutional Amendment.

Trustee of Catalyst Trust and former civil servant A.K. Venkatsubramanian says the change will reinforce "party politics" at the level of local bodies, leaving no scope for non-party forces. A scenario may emerge where the Mayor of a corporation or chairperson of a municipality will be decided in Chennai or even New Delhi.

Centre for Urban Poverty Alleviation director and retired bureaucrat L.M. Menezes says the old system was a better way of implementing the Constitutional Amendment. According to him, West Bengal, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka have a better track record.

Social activist Ossie Fernandes says though there is no specific model of election of Mayors prescribed by the law, the old scheme inherently provided more possibilities of "responsible governance." Moreover, the persons contesting for the post had to have wider acceptability among the electorate to win the polls. The earlier system was "more meaningful."

On removal of urban local bodies chiefs, Mr. Fernandes argues that local bodies are not subordinate to the State Government.

Government's defence

Justifying the move, officials say the government has only extended the arrangement provided in the District Municipalities Act to corporations. On the new system of electing mayors and municipal chairpersons, they say most of the States have the "indirect system" of election. In the last 10 years, certain municipalities and municipal corporations in the State have not functioned properly as the chiefs of the urban local bodies belonged to parties different from those which had a majority in the councils.

PMK welcomes decision

In a statement, Pattali Makkal Katchi founder S. Ramadoss welcomed the government decision. The new system would improve the functioning of local bodies and enable them to attend to basic needs of people.

He commended the government for providing powers to the municipal councils to move a no-confidence motion against mayors and deputy mayors.

He cautioned there was a possibility of cross voting among councillors and wanted a law on the lines of the Anti-Defection Act.

Open elections should take place in the case of mayors and municipal chairpersons.

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