Local bodies again under special officers

PUDUCHERRY: Grassroots democracy has again taken a beating in the Union Territory, with the five-year term of the municipal and commune panchayat councils having expired on July 13, without the benefit of fresh elections. The last time the UT witnessed local elections was in 2006, during which time 1,138  representatives had been elected. And this itself took place after a hiatus of 38 years. The government has acted to bring the municipalities, commune and village panchayats once again under special officers instead of elected representatives. Appointment of the state election commissioner might perhaps have seen a different outcome, but even that post has been lying vacant since February 20, 2007. Now, the government has taken a cabinet decision under the chairmanship of CM N Rangasamy on Thursday, to appoint special officers to head five municipalities and 10 commune panchayats, for a period of six months. During this time, the government would take action to appoint the state election commissioner and conduct the civic elections as well.The special officers would exercise the powers and perform the duties conferred and imposed upon the municipal councils and commune and village panchayat councils,. However, appointment of special officers would also require time. The Pondicherry Municipalities Act, 1973 and Pondicherry Village and Commune Panchayat Act would have to be amended to empower the government to appoint special officers in lieu of municipal and commune panchayat  councils. After the approval by the lieutenant governor, it would be placed in the legislative Assembly for bringing in the amendment. It is difficult to comprehend the government’s apathy as far as conduct of local elections goes. Hardly had the UT rejoiced with the nod to local elections in 2006 than the tenure of the municipal and panchayat councils seems to have come to an end (July 13). Chief Ministers NR (when he was with Congress) and V Vaithilingam were guilty of not appointing the state election commissioner.“It is sheer reluctance on the part of power-hungry rulers to share power with civic body representatives,” said V A Vasudevaraju, president, Puducherry Panchayat Movement. “It is a shameful performance by the government to have dissolved the municipal and panchayat councils,” he said.Incidentally, the UT administration had shown such lethargy in conducting the local body elections in the past also. The 2006 local body elections were conducted on the direction of the High Court of Madras, in response to a PIL by an activist, Ashok Kumar. Already, G A Jegannathan, convener of the Federation of Village Panchayat Presidents of Puducherry, has threatened to move High Court.What remains to be seen is whether one would have again to knock on the doors of the HC  for conduct of the local body elections to take place in the UT.