Public Relations Department,Chandigarh Administration
Press Note
Chandigarh, October 31:-The powers and functions of the Municipal Corporation of Chandigarh are governed by the provisions of the Punjab Municipal Corporation Act, as applicable to Chandigarh. Under the above Act, distinct roles have been assigned to the Corporation and various other functionaries. The municipal authorities charged with carrying out the provisions of the Municipal Corporation Act are the Corporation, Finance & Contracts Committee and the Commissioner. Under Section 52, the executive powers vest in the Commissioner who exercises all the powers and performs all the duties conferred or imposed upon him by the Act. The Commissioner also prescribes the duties of and exercise supervision and control over the acts and proceedings of all Corporation officers and other employees and dispose of all questions relating to the services of the said officers including the conditions of service. The ACR is written by the immediate superior officer who sees the work of the official. The Corporation may, under Section 53, at any time require the Commissioner to produce any record, correspondence, plan or other documents, return, estimate, statement, accounts or statistics concerning any matter pertaining to the administration of the Municipal Corporation. In the Punjab Municipal Corporation Act, there is no provision for the Mayor writing the ACRs of the Corporation Officers.
Reacting to the news appearing in a section of press today, an official release said that the legal position with regard to transfer of functions to the Municipal Corporation of Chandigarh is that the Central Government has already enacted a law in the form of the Punjab Municipal Corporation Act and assigned certain obligatory and discretionary functions therein to the Municipal Corporation of Chandigarh. Therefore, the functions mentioned in the Municipal Act and not the Twelfth Schedule are relevant because the performance of such functions only is the duty of the Corporation. The release further said that the there seems to be an ignorance of the law in some places.
Refuting the charge that Mayor has never been invited or consulted while drafting the budget of Municipal Corporation by the Administration, the release said that the Corporation itself adopts for the ensuing year a budget estimate every year. The budget estimates are approved by the Administration with or without any modification as deemed fit. The budget estimates as prepared by the Municipal Corporation is generally approved by the Administration as such with no material changes in it.
In fact, the Corporation itself drafts the budget. So far as development plans for the city are concerned, it was clarified that consultation with the Mayor is not required in all the matters since distinct roles have been given to various agencies. The corporation has been performing various duties as provided in the Corporation Act. A Metropolitan Committee would be more suitable to the Union Territory, but it requires legislation. The Administration is run by and under certain laws enacted for the purpose and where-ever required public representatives are consulted. The extension of the term of Mayor to 2 ½ years from the present term of one year requires amendment in the Municipal Corporation Act, for which Parliament is competent.