PIL challenging veto power of Ward Committee Chairperson

The High Court on Monday issued notice to the state government on a public interest litigation questioning the veto power granted to councillors as chairpersons of ward committees under the Karnataka Municipal Corporations (KMC), Act, 1976.

A division bench of officiating Chief Justice Subhro Kamal Mukherjee and Justice B V Nagarathna issued the notice while hearing a petition filed by Muralidhar Rao, a resident of Koramangala. The petition stated that the veto power as per Section 13H(7) of the KMC Act virtually makes the decision of the councillor as chairperson of respective ward committees final. It also gives ample scope for overruling even a decision taken by the majority in the 11-member ward committees.

For the full text of the report in the New Indian Express, click here.

The case no is WP 32306/ 2015. Had a talk with the lawyer, Ajesh, this morning. He suggests we collect the experiences of citizens with ward committees, across the city, and present them to the court at the next hearing, expected within two weeks. Can I request citizens to post them on Praja, or mail them direct to me.

There is of course the matter of the composition of the ward committee itself, which Ajesh hopes to bring up at the next hearing.

I'll be convening a meeting of all interested citizens in the next week.

Muralidhar Rao