The Hindu : Kerala News : Call for devolution of powers to Mahe municipal council

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Jan 07, 2008
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Kerala

Kerala

Call for devolution of powers to Mahe municipal council

Staff Reporter

MAHE: The Janakeeya Vedi here has called for devolution of powers to the elected municipal council here, alleging a ‘hidden agenda’ by Puducherry government not to implement decentralisation programme as envisaged in the Panchayati Raj and Nagarapalika Act.

The election to the municipal council here had been held in July 2006, but the powers envisaged under the Act were yet to be handed over to the elected council, vedi president T.V. Gangadharan, who was former municipal commissioner here, and secretary Vijayan Kainadath said in a press release on Sunday.

They said that the vedi had decided to approach the Madras High Court to pray for an instruction to the Puducherry government to hand over the powers.

Elections to the local bodies in the Union Territory of Puducherry had earlier been conducted in 1968. The vedi had organised agitations demanding that election be held to the civic body here, Vedi activists said adding that it had also filed a writ petition in the Madras High Court in 1998 and obtained a favourable order.

The election to the municipality here had been held in July 2006 after 38 years, Mr. Gangadharan and Mr. Kainadath said adding that the powers were yet to be given to the council 18 months after the election.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Kerala