Chennai: Local bodies elections are unlikely to be held this year too. The Tamil Nadu government has cited litigations and the elaborate process of delimitation of territorial wards of the local bodies being undertaken by the Delimitation Commission, as reasons for the delay in holding the polls.
State Municipal Administration and Rural Development Minister S. P. Velumani introduced a bill to further amend the Tamil Nadu Panchayats Act, 1994, and another to amend the laws relating to the Municipal Corporations and Municipalities in Tamil Nadu, amidst protests from the opposition DMK and Congress in the Assembly on Thursday, giving effect to the government decision to extend the term of office of special officers, which ends this month-end, for another six months.
The delimitation commission was constituted by the government to facilitate the taking up delimitation of wards of local bodies with an aim to conduct the civic elections after taking into consideration the pendency of civil appeals for delimitation of territorial wards of local bodies based on the 2011 census figures and demands from various political parties and the public.
More than 10,950 petitions on objections, representations and suggestions from political parties and general public have been received and are being examined by the Delimitation Commission, the Minister informed.
Further, the commission has decided to revist and scrutinize the territorial wards of Chennai corporation wherein the population variation exceeded the limit of fifty per cent over the parity principle, according to the statement of objects and reasons mentioned in the bill.
“After completion of the delimitation process, the State Election Commission will be in a position to notify the ordinary elections to the local bodies. Hence, it has been proposed to make suitable arrangements for administering the affairs of the local bodies considering the expiry of the term of office of the special officers on June 30, 2018. The government therefore decided to amend the laws so as to enable the government to extend the term of office of the Special officers for a further period of six months upto December 31, 2018 or until the first meeting of council held after the ordinary elections, whichever is earlier,” the bill further said.
