Critics say the bill, passed unanimously in the upper house, wrongly portrays all politicians as corrupt.
The legislative council on Tuesday passed the amendment to the Maharashtra lok ayukta Act that sought to get elected representatives of municipal corporations, councils, zilla parishads and panchayat samitis under the purview of the law.
Tabling the bill, minister of state Fauzia Khan said that that the 13th Finance Commission had recommended to the state government to put into place a system of an independent local body ombudsman to look into complaints of corruption and maladministration against the functionaries of local bodies.
“This was the reason that the government was placing this bill to bring all representatives of municipal corporations, councils, zilla parishads and panchayat samitis within the purview of the Maharashtra lok ayukta and upa-lok ayukta act, 1971,” she added.
Speaking on the issue, Shiv Sena MLC Diwakar Raote said a picture has been created that all politicians are corrupt. Criticising the recent anti-corruption campaign led by social activist Anna Hazare, Raote said, “Where were these people when corruption took place in disbursing funds of Rs4,000 crore to families affected by farmers’ suicides and when mill workers were uprooted from Mumbai?”
Raote alleged that those leading the campaign had evaded taxes, and questioned why NCP chief Sharad Pawar was always targeted when there are many other ministers at the Centre.
“We do not want the amendment just for funds to be received from the 13th Finance Commission by approving the bill. The bill is insulting to people’s representatives and should be withdrawn by the government,” Raote said.
PWP MLC Jayant Patil said the bill, once approved, would transfer all powers into the hands of the bureaucrats.
Similarly, BJP MLC Shobhatai Phadnavis said politicians were being made scapegoats in the name of providing transparency.
“Corporators enjoy no power as all the schemes are designed and implemented by bureaucrats. It is unfortunate that they are exempted while elected representatives are being targeted,” said Phadnavis.
Khan said that the notion was wrong that only politicians would be covered under the Act.
“The government has been issuing notifications from time to time to include bureaucrats under the Act too,” she added. The Bill was then passed unanimously in the upper house.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}