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Mayor-in-council system for Bombay, Nagpur

Maharashtra Chief Minister Manohar Joshi has announced that the mayor-in-council system will be introduced on an experimental basis in April in Bombay and Nagpur.

Besides vesting the mayors with more powers, the system envisages the creation of a deputy mayor's post.

Joshi said the system, to be fashioned on the lines of the cabinet system of collective responsibility, would take away all the executive powers from the municipal commissioner. The latter would be entrusted with the task of implementing policy decisions.

The system also envisages the creation of the post of chairperson to handle routine matters. With a one-year tenure, the chairperson will have to be elected from the reserved category, Joshi said.

According to the chief minister, the power of nominating members to the council rests with the mayor. The council's strength would be five per cent of the elected representatives.

Calcutta is the only Indian city to have such a system of civic governance.

Compiled from the Marathi media by Prasanna D Zore

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