Sitting on files may soon cost civic staffers dear ……Prafulla Marpakwar
Mumbai: Municipal corporation offices have become synonymous with lethargic babus and red tape. But all this will soon change. The Congress-led Democratic Front (DF) government is set to amend the BMC Act to provide for stringent disciplinary action against erring civic officials.
“We are in the process of amending not only the BMC Act, but all legislations governing municipal corporations in the state,” a senior official told TOI on Friday. “The amendment will ensure that no file remains pending with an official/employee for more than seven days. In case of a delay, the person concerned will be liable for disciplinary action,’’ the official added.
The urban development department, which is headed by chief minister Ashok Chavan, has proposed to introduce a new section—Prevention of delay in discharge of official duties—in the Acts of the BMC, Nagpur Municipal Corporation and Maharashtra Village Panchayat.
“We found that the clearance of routine files was being delayed by months. In the absence of a law to deal with erring staffers, the administration was finding it
difficult to take those who indulge in red tape to task,” said the official. “The new law not only provides for disciplinary action, it also paves way for such action to be included in the employee’s annual confidential report,’’ he said.
According to the proposed amendments, any wilful or intentional delay and negligence in carrying out official work will be considered dereliction of duty and make such an employee liable for disciplinary action as per civic rules. “The competent authority will be given powers to initiate disciplinary proceedings against erring employee,’’ the official added.
Further, all the corporations will have to publish a citizens’ charter within a period of six months from the date of the commencement of the Act.
Chavan has also proposed that civic commissioners be given special powers to launch criminal proceedings against corrupt employees. At present, the general body of a civic body can give the go-ahead for such a proceeding. “In many cases, even though an employee was caught red-handed by the anti-corruption department, permission was not granted to launch criminal proceedings,” he said.