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
PIL challenging veto power of Ward Committee Chairperson
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reqesting citizen reponses
I have received a few responses, through mail.
Meanwhile, a friend formatted this survey form for collating the information. It would help if the citizens could fill it out.
Petition challenging veto power of councillor
Thanks Mr. Muralidhar Rao, for filing this petition which we should have done long back. Is it going to be clubbed with the other petition on garbage and ward committees already being fought by Mr. Ajesh Kumar?