MUMBAI, June 24: The long-pending issue of setting up ward committees of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) -- a mandatory requirement for municipal corporations under the 74th Constitutional amendment for decentralisation of power in local self-governments -- was finally decided by the party group leaders today.

Accordingly, the 23 administrative wards of the metropolis will have 21 ward committees to ensure better governance and faster disposal of public grievances. While the city will have seven committees, the eastern and western suburbs will have six and eight ward committees respectively.

The civic administration will put up the issue for discussion and final approval of the general body as urgent business soon, it is learnt. The committees are expected to be set up in a month's time after that.

If there is only one committee for a ward, the concerned ward officer would be its executive officer. In case the committee consists of more than one ward, the executive officer will be appointed by the commissioner.

Each committee, apart from having local corporators and municipal officials, will have three members who are nominated from a non-political organisation. The tenure of the committee will be the same as that of the general body and election for the post of the chairman will be held annually.

The committee will meet once every month to dispose of public grievances relating to water supply, drainage and other basic civic amenities.

The committee will also be empowered to consider proposals of expenditure made under the budgetary provisions relating to wards falling under its jurisdiction and give administrative approval to plans and estimates for civic works up to Rs five lakh from the budgetary provisions.

At the group leaders meeting, municipal commissioner Girish Gokhale proposed to form 16 ward committees according to the population distribution in different wards, but later accepted the arguments forwarded by leaders to increase their number up to 21.

As per the amendments made to the Mumbai Provincial Municipalities Act by the state government, Mumbai can have a maximum number of 25 ward committees as per the population distribution.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.