Bombay HC miffed with UD for not forming ward committees

Mumbai: The Bombay high court has issued a show-cause notice to the principal secretary of the urban development department for not implementing the 74th constitutional amendment, which stipulated formation of ward committees and area sabhas that would involve local citizens in all the 227 municipal wards of the city. The court issued the notice after the petitioner complained that despite the amendment being carried out 25 years back, it was not implemented.

A division bench of Justice Ranjit More and Justice Anuja Prabhudessai was hearing the public interest litigation filed by the Loksatta Movement, an NGO working on constitutional reforms complaining of non-formation of local self-governance bodies as intended by the 74th constitutional amendment. Senior advocate Dr Sujay Kantawala who appeared for the NGO informed the court that ever since the first hearing of the PIL in 2016, the UD had failed to file its reply to the allegations of the petitioner. Mr Kantawala further said that the department had been given at least four opportunities to file its reply but had not done so till now.

The amendment had recommended formation of ward-level committees to improve local governance. These committees would contain members of the public in each ward to ensure their participation.