Pune Municipal Corporation’s process to appoint nominated members to ward committees has remained stalled, leaving 22 eligible candidates waiting for a vote in the Dhankawadi-Sahakarnagar area. The municipal administration has now said the selection will be completed at the upcoming ward committee meeting under the chairmanship of the respective committee president.
The appointment process was initiated in August to provide representatives of voluntary and social organisations an opportunity to serve on ward committees. In the Dhankawadi-Sahakarnagar regional office area, three seats across three ward committees are available. Fifty-two aspirants purchased application forms, 25 submitted applications and 22 were found eligible after scrutiny.
The process was delayed after the model code of conduct came into force for elections to the teachers’ and graduates’ constituencies. Although the election-related restrictions have ended, the selection has not yet taken place, according to the report. The delay has kept the eligible candidates waiting for a formal vote by the concerned ward committees.
Under provisions of the Maharashtra Municipal Corporations Act, 45 representatives are to be appointed across Pune’s 15 ward committees. The appointments are intended to bring representatives from social and voluntary sectors into the ward committee system. However, the pool of applicants also includes political workers who did not receive nominations in the municipal election, along with representatives of social organisations.
The Dhankawadi-Sahakarnagar regional office has completed the administrative work required for the selection, Assistant Commissioner Surekha Bhange said. “The necessary administrative process for the appointment of nominated members has been completed by this office. The selection process could not be conducted because of the model code of conduct for the graduates’ and teachers’ constituency elections. However, the selection process will now be completed at the upcoming ward committee meeting under the chairmanship of the president,” Bhange said, according to the report.
The selection is expected to take place after the list of eligible candidates is placed before the concerned ward committee for voting. The process follows directions issued by the High Court in 2019, under which participation and contribution in the social and voluntary sectors are expected to receive importance in the selection of nominated members.
The delay has drawn criticism from candidates who say it affects the functioning of the ward-level civic system. Amar Pawar, a candidate and member of the ShivSahyadri Charitable Foundation, said the process had been pending for about three months and described the delay as unfortunate for democratic functioning. He urged the administration to complete the appointments promptly so that residents’ issues could receive attention through the ward committees.
The municipal administration’s next stated step is to place the eligible candidates’ list before the ward committees and complete the appointment process at the upcoming meeting. No specific meeting date was provided in the report.
