Chandigarh, December 24:Former Councillor of Chandigarh Municipal Corporation, Shakti Prakash Devshali, has written a detailed letter to the Hon’ble Administrator of Chandigarh, demanding that the elections for the Mayor, Senior Deputy Mayor and Deputy Mayor of the Municipal Corporation be held every year strictly on 1 January, so that the elected office bearers may get a full one‑year effective tenure in line with the intent of the Constitution and the law.

In his letter, Devshali has stated that under the present practice, the date of these elections is often fixed in the latter half or at the end of January, due to which the Mayor and other top office bearers practically get an opportunity to work for less than one year in office, which not only affects the stability of the Corporation’s administration but also adversely impacts the smooth implementation of long‑term development plans.

Referring to Section 38 of the Punjab Municipal Corporation Act, 1976 and The Punjab Municipal Corporation Law (Extension to Chandigarh) Act, 1994, Devshali said that the clear intent of the law is that the Mayor should be elected in the “first meeting” of the Corporation, so that he or she may get an almost complete annual tenure and be able to implement the budget, policies and development plans in a coherent manner.

He further underlined that, as per law, the power to convene the meeting for the election of the Mayor vests in the authorised authority (in the context of Chandigarh, the Deputy Commissioner/Prescribed Authority), who fixes the date; therefore, it is necessary that this meeting be held at the beginning of the year, in particular on 1 January or on the nearest possible initial working day thereafter, only then will the Mayor, Senior Deputy Mayor and Deputy Mayor truly be able to get a full year’s tenure in the real sense.

Referring to the history of Chandigarh Municipal Corporation, Devshali pointed out that after the constitution of the Corporation, the first Mayor, Mrs Kamla Sharma, was elected on 23 December 1996 and the next four Mayors were also elected on 23 December. Subsequently, after the second Corporation elections, from 2002 to 2014, a healthy tradition was followed under which the Mayor, Senior Deputy Mayor and Deputy Mayor were elected on 1 January, ensuring that they received an almost full year in office.

According to Devshali, in 2015, for the first time, the elections were conducted on 6 January and thereafter the date of the elections kept getting pushed forward according to the convenience of the office of the authorised officer, which has caused the maximum loss to the Mayor, Senior Deputy Mayor and Deputy Mayor of the last year of a given elected Municipal Corporation, even though this last year is the most important for all political parties, as fresh Corporation elections are held immediately thereafter.

The former Councillor clearly stated that, in a democracy, no officer has the right to curtail the tenure of the Mayor, Senior Deputy Mayor and Deputy Mayor who are elected by the elected Councillors, and it must be ensured that the one‑year tenure envisaged under the Constitution and the law is made available equally to all.

Devshali has humbly requested the Hon’ble Administrator to issue clear directions to the concerned authority (Deputy Commissioner/Prescribed Authority) that the elections for the Mayor, Senior Deputy Mayor and Deputy Mayor of Chandigarh Municipal Corporation be conducted every year on 1 January itself, or in any unavoidable circumstance on the nearest initial working day immediately after 1 January, and that this meeting be treated as the “first meeting” of the Corporation and held in a time‑bound manner.

He has also urged that, from the coming year onwards, the elected representatives to these three top posts of the Municipal Corporation be provided an effective tenure equal to a full year, so that administrative continuity, accountability and the planned pace of development projects being carried out in public interest can be maintained, and Chandigarh Municipal Corporation may function as a more capable, transparent and well‑governed institution.

Devshali expressed confidence that, if a time‑bound election system is implemented at the administrative level, it will not only be in consonance with the spirit of law but will also strengthen the dignity of democratic institutions, transparency and good governance.