The Chhattisgarh government has overriding powers over Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) against the spirit of the Constitutional amendment, according to an audit report of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) tabled in the Assembly on Tuesday.
The devolution of functions in the state has not been completed even after 20 years of the formation of Chhattisgarh, it states.
The report states that though Chhattisgarh has implemented the 74th Constitutional Amendment Act, it is yet to delegate the powers to the three-tier urban bodies.
The five-chapter report states that from Census 2011, there has been an increase in urban population. ULBs face multiple challenges of public health issues, poverty and poor waste management in 169 civic bodies.
With the Smart Cities project in Raipur and Bilaspur, it has further eroded the space of civic bodies, it said.
It has no powers to assess the staff requirement nor can recruit required permanent staff except on contractual basis. All the appointments are made by the state government, the report states.
Of the 27 bodies, only the Korba Municipal Corporation has constituted Ward and Mohalla Committees, thus defeating the aim of community participation in local governance. The District Planning Committee meetings are also not regular.
The state is releasing funds based on the Second Finance Commission recommendations though the constitution of the Fifth Commission is due, it said.
The ULBs is get only 17 percent of their share of their own revenue (Rs 2,572.47 crore).