Bhubaneswar: With the completion of five-year tenure of 66 civic bodies, the state government Saturday appointed administrators for the Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) including Berhampur Municipal Corporation.
According to a notification issued by the Housing and Urban Development (H&UD) department, the first meeting of the Berhampur Municipal Corporation and 65 municipalities and Notified Area Councils (NACs) were held September 30, 2013 and the five-year term of the ULBs expired September 29, 2018.
In exercise of the powers conferred by Odisha Municipal Corporation Act 2003 and Odisha Municipal Act 1950, the state government under a notification Saturday appointed administrators to the 66 ULBs.
Ganjam District Collector has been appointed as the administrator to discharge duties of the Berhampur Municipal Corporation and its Mayor till the date of the first meeting of the newly elected corporators, read the notification.
Similarly, Angul Collector has been posted as the administrator of Angul municipality while collectors of Balasore, Bhadrak, Boudh, Dhenkanal, Gajapati, Jagatsinghpur, Jajpur, Keonjhar, Khurda, Koraput, Malkangiri, Nayagarh, Nabarangpur, Puri and Rayagada districts have been given additional charge of municipalities and NACs located at their concerned district headquarters.
Besides, the government has appointed sub-collectors, project directors of District Rural Development Agencies (DRDAs) and additional district magistrates as administrators in the remaining civic bodies.
Earlier, the State Election Commission (SEC) had written to the H&UD department to take steps for management of the ULBs’ affairs and Berhampur Municipal Corporation as the process of delimitation of wards and reservation of seats of the ULBs had not been completed.
Notably, elections to these ULBs have not been conducted on time because a case on reservation of seats in the civic bodies was pending in the Supreme Court. The state government had moved the apex court challenging an order of High Court, which had asked the state not to exceed reservation above 50 per cent in non-scheduled areas. The apex court, in its order Friday rejected the plea of the state and upheld the decision of the HC.
Meanwhile, the Congress and BJP alleged the BJD government had deliberately delayed the urban body polls fearing defeat.
PNN