The Mumbai Municipal Corporation and Maharashtra Municipal Corporations (Amendment) Bill, 2023, which would increase the total number of nominated corporators in all Municipal Corporations throughout the state, including the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, was approved by the Maharashtra Legislative Council on Monday. The new amendment will boost the total number of nominated corporators at BMC from the current five to ten.
In contrast to the previous nomination of five corporators, the Bill would allow a maximum of 10 corporators or 10% of the total number of corporators, whichever is fewer, to be nominated in each corporation, said state Industries Minister Uday Samant while presenting the Bill to the council. According to Samant, the Bill was introduced to raise the standard of State Municipal Corporations' operations. Despite receiving funding, "the nominated members (corporators) will not have the same voting privileges as the elected representatives."
The Maharashtra Government decided to increase the number of nominated corporators in all Maharashtra Municipal Corporations in January 2023. According to officials, the number of elected representatives from each political party in the Municipal Corporation that has nominated candidates depends on that party's overall strength. "This measure has been brought, taking into account the necessity to expand the total number of nominated members, to qualitatively strengthen the functioning of Municipal Corporations by utilizing the nominated members' knowledge," the official added. The revisions were made in advance of the
impending BMC elections, which are set to take place this year, prompting the opposition to challenge the government's action.
