The State Election Commission is all set to release the Municipal Poll- 2018 notification within a day or two after it on March 7 released the Municipal Election Gazette. This has prompted probables to go for a massive inauguration of drive of schemes in across all 55 wards before the model code of conduct coming into force.
Be it Mayor, Deputy Mayor or ward councilors, playing the safe game, the elected representatives are busy luring the voters. Mayor Asha lakra, in a week time has inaugurated more than 10 projects at different wards.
Beginning with inauguration of community building cum ward office at ward 4 earlier this month to instating roads and sewerage drainage projects at ward number 29, 21, 42 and 49, several new projects was inaugurated by the Mayor since past two weeks.
Besides inaugurating new projects, Mayor is also keeping a track record of Government schemes being implemented through Urban local Body (UlB) through constantly reviewing the Status of Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana (PMAY), Swacch Bharat Abhiyaan-Urban (SBA) etc.
“This is just the regular job and is the part and partial of my role. Through just inaugurating projects, public are not convinced, at the end of the day people want results. Series of inauguration is taking place so that the work gets complete on time and not to impress the voters,” lakra said in fury.
The election will be conducted in accordance with Jharkhand Municipal Act-2011, clause 16 (5), which clearly states constitution of bodies at different level once the five years tenure of elected representatives of Municipal Corporation, Nagar Parishad and Nagar Panchayat gets complete.
“The notification will be released either on March 12 or March 13 anytime. Soon after the Municipal Poll notification release, Election Code of Conduct will be implemented. All mandatory proceedings regarding Municipal Poll have been completed,” said, Jharkhand State Election Commission, Secretary, Gyanendra Singh on Sunday.
Not only Mayor but Deputy Mayor and Ward Councilors too seem to have come in active mode. Adopting different strategies to win the confidence of voters, Deputy Mayor, Sanjiv Vijayawargia immediately plunged into action and condemned the decision of charging a specific amount from morning walkers to maintain his image among all his loyal voters.
From demanding money for completion of pending projects, raising questions regarding approval of tenders during the board meeting to instigating voters on different issues like anomalies involved in voter lists, effect of delimitation, councilors are leaving no stone unturned to make their presence felt. When contacted a few ward councilors, they simply cited that they are delivering their duties.
Recently, despite boycotting the meeting with the stakeholders for approving the blueprint of three parks being constructed under Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) scheme at HEC, Harmu and Bariatu localities, the project got formal approval as it was passed by the respective ward councilors.
Since for the first time, Municipal Election can be contested independently without any political party back-up, elected representatives are putting their blood and sweat to some-how save their face and defeat their opponents.
If the election notification is released within a day or two, the contestants will get time till March 31 to complete the essential proceedings. The Municipal election-2018 will cover five Municipal Corporations, 16 Nagar Parishad including 13 Nagar Panchayats.