Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, October 31 2010:
Governor Gurbachan Jagat has given assent to the Manipur Municipal Community Participation Bill, 2010 which institutionalize citizens' participation in municipal functions by setting up of Monitoring Committees.
The Bill, passed in the last session of Manipur Assembly, has now become law and it will come into force from the date of notification by the Manipur government.
It incorporates requirements to undertake certain reforms in the functioning of Urban Local Bodies as a pre-condition to access funds, under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewable Mission (JNNURM) from the state government.
These reforms are aimed at improving local governance including accountability and transparency in administration.
To enact "Community Participation Law" to institutionalize citizen's participation and to introduce the concept of Area Sabha in urban areas which is a mandatory reform required by the state for implementation of the JNNURM.
Government of India, Ministry of Urban Developments has prepared a "Model Nagara Raj Bill" and requested the state governments to enact necessary Municipality Community Participation legislation on the lines of the aforesaid Model Bill.
Manipur government needed enactment of the Manipur Municipality Community Participation Act, 2010 to start implementation of JNNURM.
Manipur Housing and Urban Development Authority (MAHUD) drafted the Manipur Municipality Community Participation Bill, 2010 .
It is based on the Model Nagara Raj Bill prescribed by the Union Ministry of Urban Development in consultation with the Law Department and introduced in the last budget session of the state Assembly on July 7 .
The Bill will be enacted after Government issues notification, a monitoring committee for each ward in the Municipality to be constituted by the State Government in consultation with the Municipality.
Each Monitoring Committee will consist of councilor of the ward as chairman of the committee.
Two persons are to be elected from the ward and government will nominate two persons representing the civil society from the ward.
The Monitoring Committee will prepare a calendar at the first meeting for each budget year.
The committee will decide upon specific obligatory agenda for each of the monthly meetings to be convened under the chairman of the committee.
A committee of three persons under the Monitoring Committee will look after the maintenance of accounts of each ward.
Government will make rules to carry out the purpose of the Act after notification in the official gazette, an official source said.