[Urbanstudy] Shashi Tharoor's bill for presidential-type city govts likely to come up in Parliament's Winter Session

[Vinay Baindur]

http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-shashi-tharoor-s-bill-for-presidential-type-city-governments-likely-to-be-in-winter-session-2264309






Shashi Tharoor's bill for presidential-type city govts likely to come up in
Parliament's Winter Session
Parliament
DNA CORRESPONDENT <http://www.dnaindia.com/authors/dna-correspondent-2> | Sat,
15 Oct 2016-01:28pm , New Delhi , DNA

The bill roots for making local bodies, government more answerable to people

A private member’s bill tabled in the Parliament in the last session by
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor seeks to empower local municipal bodies by
bringing about a Constitutional amendment to allow presidential-type
elections. The bill, tabled in the parliament, is now with the business
advisory committee and will most likely come up for discussion in the
coming Winter session of the Parliament.

The bill aims to reform and restructure city governments by directly voting
a mayor to power, who becomes answerable to the people directly.



The idea took root with editor Bhanu Dhamija’s book *Why India Needs the
Presidential System*, which had a foreword by Tharoor and Kuldip Nayyar.
Through the bill, Tharoor proposes for a system that is similar to those in
cities under the US presidential system. A mayor is directly voted to power
with a fixed term. The mayor will have no vote in municipality meetings but
will have the crucial power to veto decisions of the municipality.

The mayor will be given a council made up of members who are elected by
direct voting and will be different from the existing presidential system
where there is a separation of executive and legislative powers. The bill,
thereby, empowers local municipal bodies by providing them with autonomy,
making them self-sufficient, and compelling the state governments to give
them powers by restructuring their constitution.

There were previous attempts to do something similar— the 74th amendment to
establish local municipal bodies, and in 2014, BJP MP Rajiv Pratap Rudy
asked the Rajya Sabha to pass a resolution for 'direct elections for chief
executive at the Centre and States', by separating the executive and the
legislature.
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