Decks are now clear for direct elections of the chief councillors and the deputy chief councillors in the urban local bodies (ULBs) after the state cabinet on Monday gave its nod to the rules for the amended section of the Bihar Municipal Act 2007, which changed the system of municipal elections.
It was among 26 proposals discussed and passed by the cabinet at its meeting chaired by chief minister Nitish Kumar on Monday.
Briefing reporters after the meeting, additional chief secretary (cabinet) Sanjay Kumar said the cabinet’s approval of Bihar Municipal Election (Amendments) Rules, 2022, envisaging change in election process for mayors and deputy mayors in case of municipal corporations and head councillors and deputy head councillors in rest of the ULBs would pave the way for an early election of 263 municipal bodies in the state.
Though the state government had come out with an ordinance, seeking to amend the related provisions of the Bihar Municipal Act 2007, in January this year to clear the way for direct elections of mayor, deputy mayors and heads councillors and deputy chief councillors of the ULBs, the same was ratified by the state legislature during the recently concluded Budget session.
The amendments also seek to do away with the provision of no-confidence motion against mayor and deputy mayors. Earlier, 1/3rd of the councillors were authorised to bring in no-confidence motion against the ULBs’ heads and the deputies and get them removed. But the recent amendments to the Act categorically state that the chief councillors and deputy chief councillors would be removed from the post only after their deaths or in case they evaded the office to avoid arrest from the police for a period of more than six months.
Free Covid booster dose
The cabinet gave its nod to the health department’s proposal to administer precautionary dose of Covid-19 vaccine free of cost to all eligible population (from 18 to 59 years). It also cleared an estimated cost of ₹1314.15 crore to be spent on the administration of precautionary vaccine and an instant release of ₹583.43 crore from the state contingency fund.
Samrat Ashok’s birth anniversary
The birth anniversary of Samrat Ashok, the king of Patliputra during the Mauryan empire, will be celebrated as a state function every eighth of waxing moon period (shulka paksh) of Chaitra month of Hindi calendar at Samrat Ashok Convention Kendra in Patna.
New govt medical college and hospitals
The cabinet gave administrative approval for ₹1207.36 crore for building the government medical college and hospitals in Munger and East Champaran districts. The fund would be given to the Bihar Medical Services and Infrastructure Development Corporation for building the medical infrastructure at the cost of ₹603.68 crore each.
