On 13th February 2023, the Governor of Jharkhand, Ramesh Bais, approved the Jharkhand Municipal (Amendment) Bill-2022. The bill seeks to change the Jharkhand Municipal Act of 2011 to ensure better representation of marginalized communities in municipal bodies.
The critical points of the Jharkhand Municipal (Amendment) Bill-2022 are as follows:
- Reservation for Mayor/Chairman: With the acceptance of this bill, the reservation for the Mayor/Chairman post in Municipal Corporations will be decided based on the population of the reserved category. This means that the election for the post of Mayor/Chairman will not be done based on a roster.
- Removal of the word ‘rotation’: The word ‘rotation’ has been removed from the reservation policy for Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs), and Other Backward Classes (OBCs). This means that the earlier reserved seats for SCs can now be reserved for STs or other reserved categories.
- Opposition to earlier changes: The bill was brought about due to opposition to changes made in the election of the Mayor of Ranchi Municipal Corporation, where the post was removed from STs to SCs. The amended bill seeks to ensure better representation for all marginalized communities.
The Jharkhand Municipal (Amendment) Bill-2022 ensures better representation of marginalized communities in municipal bodies. With the removal of the word ‘rotation’ in the reservation policy and the reservation of seats based on the population of the reserved category, the bill seeks to ensure that all reserved categories have equal opportunities for representation. The acceptance of this bill by the Governor is a significant step towards more inclusive municipal governance in the state of Jharkhand.
