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Why Standing Committee Meeting?
On 12 October 2011, NMMC Standing Committee meeting ended in just two minutes. Strange! The reason for the meeting having ended so early was absence of many corporators. These corporators had gone on leave. Some were absent owing to Diwali festival that is round the corner while others stayed absent for personal reasons. Corporators represent the people of their ward. If these corporators start behaving irresponsibly, what can you expect from the people whom they represent?
In a school we come across cases where students stay absent and then the school authorities have to take action against them. But NMMC is not a school and corporators cannot afford to behave like school children. Who will take action against erring corporators? Corporators are a part of ruling body and they ought to display certain kind of discipline and thus set an example to the people whom they represent. Staying absent en masse is an example of throwing one's responsibility to the winds. It's true that this is a festive season but that doesn't mean that an important event like Standing Committee meeting should be treated as if it is not at all important.
Talking of NMMC Standing Committee, one gets the feeling today that the power of this committee is diminishing. This is clear after the state government has decided to amend laws and grant more financial powers to municipal commissioner and mayor. The municipal commissioner particularly will soon be granted power to approve contracts of Rs 25 lakhs and that too without a sanction from Standing Committee. This gives rise to the question as to why there should be a Standing Committee at all? Maybe this state government's attitude of denying Standing Committee members the kind of power that they used to enjoy in the past that is frustrating the SC members and making them resort to absenting themselves en masse or displaying irresponsible behaviour. The state government should not take steps that will reduce the importance of a corporator. The government should equip corporator with enough powers so that he or she is able to do full justice to the people of his or her ward. The government should consider this point very seriously.
On 12 October 2011, NMMC Standing Committee meeting ended in just two minutes. Strange! The reason for the meeting having ended so early was absence of many corporators. These corporators had gone on leave. Some were absent owing to Diwali festival that is round the corner while others stayed absent for personal reasons. Corporators represent the people of their ward. If these corporators start behaving irresponsibly, what can you expect from the people whom they represent?
In a school we come across cases where students stay absent and then the school authorities have to take action against them. But NMMC is not a school and corporators cannot afford to behave like school children. Who will take action against erring corporators? Corporators are a part of ruling body and they ought to display certain kind of discipline and thus set an example to the people whom they represent. Staying absent en masse is an example of throwing one's responsibility to the winds. It's true that this is a festive season but that doesn't mean that an important event like Standing Committee meeting should be treated as if it is not at all important.
Talking of NMMC Standing Committee, one gets the feeling today that the power of this committee is diminishing. This is clear after the state government has decided to amend laws and grant more financial powers to municipal commissioner and mayor. The municipal commissioner particularly will soon be granted power to approve contracts of Rs 25 lakhs and that too without a sanction from Standing Committee. This gives rise to the question as to why there should be a Standing Committee at all? Maybe this state government's attitude of denying Standing Committee members the kind of power that they used to enjoy in the past that is frustrating the SC members and making them resort to absenting themselves en masse or displaying irresponsible behaviour. The state government should not take steps that will reduce the importance of a corporator. The government should equip corporator with enough powers so that he or she is able to do full justice to the people of his or her ward. The government should consider this point very seriously.
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