Urban reform requirement

As per existing practice Municipal commissioners are appointed for the term of 2 to 2.5 years in the corporation. Rest of the officers in municipal administration belongs to local recruitment by local body. It is obvious that commissioner who happens to be an IAS may not have through knowledge of the BPMC Act, municipal rules, Gujarat civil services Rules, development control & regulation rules etc in detail. As this entire exercise requires continuous study, reference & revision of relevant laws & rules, & commissioner being a Chief executive officer is not having enough time & opportunities too to go in that much detail.Thus onus lies on local municipal officers. But unfortunately as noticed most of the senior local officers are not possessing adequate knowledge, neither they have tendency nor attitude to study or refresh know how. The reason is, existing local recruitment system under the act which empowers local democratic representatives to put the mantle on the candidate befitting to their criteria without recourse to merit. Ultimate result is forgone conclusion. It is not so that honest integrated sincere & intelligent force is not available in the battalion of local body but due to local factors those have never been given the opportunity. Result - broad day light murder of human resource policy & merit. Ultimate sufferer - local body, citizen & public exchequer.In majority of the cases the voice of local coterie prevails even up to CEO. While so far as democratic body is concerned no any local officer except rare will ever prefer to go against the will & wish of them. Under these circumstances, how one can expect good governance in local body. & question does not arise of feeling good for the citizen.Of course by deputing one of the upright officers by the government state government can fulfill the very idea of curtain controller utilizing that officer as shadow CEO in better public & urban interest.This is not friction or assumption but true observation & analysis of number of year’s personal experience. If the issue is addressed in true letter & spirit certain positive result is never rule out.