Pune Cantonment Boards's nominated member now equired to be a graduate

Pune: If you are a resident of the Pune Cantonment Board (PCB) areas, here is news that might interest you. In the absence of an elected board of the PCB as elections appear to be a long time ahead, at least the nominated member of PCB board promises to hold more quality.
This year, the PCB has received as many as 35 nominations for the single post of a nominated member as against a handful that they used to receive earlier. Not only this, the Ministry of Defence has revised it's norms making it mandatory for nominated member to be at least a graduate having a high degree of credibility and a well-known citizen.
The PCB's elected board was recently dissolved and sources in PCB say that elections could easily be a few months away. Till elections take place, it is the nominated member who will represent the Cantonment residents in the General Body and hence it is important that well educated and person of stature is nominated to this post.
In the absence of an elected board, cantonment residents hope that a nominated member should genuinely take up their issues like water scarcity, garbage clearance, cleanliness and streetlight instead of merely acting a conduit between the board and the people. The PCB administration has expedited the process of appointing a nominated member for the PCB in the aftermath of the dissolution of the cantonment board.
Resident of PCB area and experts in Cantonment affairs, Dr Netraprakash Bhog said the number of applications for becoming a nominated member has gone significantly due to a high level of awareness amongst the citizens. Earlier, only the elected members used to seek nomination as only they had prior information about the post and the documentation required to be submitted on time, he said.
"The nominated member will have to deliver to the people of cantonment and just cannot remain a mute spectator. Besides, the selection should be done in such a manner that a genuine person is selected for the job so that he can fulfil the aspirations of the people. We hope that nominated member gives equal attention to all cantonment wards and curb corruption and malpractices which are rampant at the PCB , " Bhog added.
He further explained that any prominent citizen or public representative with reputation and high credibility can become a nominated member. If the sources at the PCB are to be believed , then a number of graduates, former elected representatives and prominent citizens including businessmen have thrown their hats in the ring seeking the post of a nominated member. The administration has however been tightlipped about the names of the applicants.

The nominated member once appointed by the ministry of defence will be a part of the new committee consisting of the president and chief executive officer of the cantonment. Elections to the cantonment boards across were held on May 18, 2008. The five-year tenure of these boards expired on May 17, 2013. The defence ministry increased the tenure of the boards by six months till December 31, 2013 and then by another six months till June 5, 2014. The tenure cannot be extended for a third time as per the Cantonment Act.