If you are a registered voter, you will get a chance to involve yourself directly in the development of your area. A bill passed by the legislative assembly on Saturday has ensured a platform for voters to express their views in matters pertaining to their area.
The Nagar Raj Bill has the provision to form an Area Sabha to deal with the problems of various residential areas. It will come into force once the legislative council passes the bill and the governor approves it, following which it will be known as the Maharashtra Municipal Corporations and Municipal Councils (Amendment) Act, 2009.
The bill has a provision to form an Area Sabha for each polling booth in a ward of the municipal corporation. If the government decides to, the Area Sabha may consist of a maximum five polling booths. The local councillor will be chairman of the Area Sabha and the municipal corporation will appoint one of its officials as secretary. All the registered voters of the area will be members of the Sabha.
The members will have several rights and duties. They can suggest priority of schemes and development programmes to be implemented in the area, as also the location of street lights, street or community water taps, public wells, public sanitation units and such other public amenities. They can also identify deficiencies in the water supply, sewage disposal, public sanitation etc and suggest remedial measures.
It will be the duty of the Area Sabha to assist the activities of public health centres, especially in the prevention of diseases and family welfare matters. It will create arrangements to report on incidences of epidemics and natural calamities. It will inform the ward committees about their decisions and actions.
