Mira-Bhayandar: MBMC Marks 29 Months Without Elected Representatives, Longest Administrator Rule So Far

Mira-Bhayandar: The Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporation (MBMC) completed 29 months under administrators rule on 27, August, making it the longest tenure, the civic body has remained without elected representatives since its elevation from council to corporation in 2002.

The five-year term of the 95-member house which was single-handedly ruled by the BJP ended on 27, August 2022, following which municipal commissioner Dilip Dhole donned the role of administrator. He was succeeded by IAS officer Sanjay Katkar on 9, August, 2023.

MBMC's History of Administrator Rule

The MBMC has come under the control of administrators after a span of almost two decades. The last time an administrator had been appointed for the civic body was for a brief period in 2002. Notably, the MBMC is not an exception, currently 24 out of the total 28 municipal corporations in the state do not have an elected body of public representatives and are being manned solely by state-appointed administrators who are not only shouldering administrative responsibilities and financial functioning, but also have the final say on deciding the fate of proposals and other issues pertaining to the civic body.

The orders of appointing administrators in the absence of elected representatives have been passed in adherence with sections 6 and 6A of the Maharashtra Municipal Corporation (MMC) Act, 1949. The move comes in the backdrop of delayed civic polls due to issues including a legal tangle over Other Backward Classes (OBC) reservations.

After the parliamentary and assembly elections, the next battle between political parties to wrestle civic bodies in the state continues to get delayed as the Apex Court has scheduled the next hearing on petitions related to civic elections on 25, February.