State government appoints administrators to 62 local bodies

Nagpur: The state government has directed divisional commissioners Prajakta Lavangare-Verma (Nagpur) and Piyush Singh (Amravati), and collectors of 11 districts of Vidarbha to appoint administrators for running 62 municipal councils and municipal panchayats where the state election commission (SEC) failed to conduct the elections before expiry of tenure of deliberative wings.
The state’s urban development department issued an order a day ago, citing directives from SEC. “The entire world is hit by Covid-19 pandemic, due to which elections cannot be held on time in local self-governing bodies. More time is required for conducting the elections. Therefore, sub-divisional officers, tehsildars and chief officers should be appointed as administrators in municipal councils and municipal panchayats where tenure of deliberative wing has come to an end,” the department said.
Among 62, 34 municipal councils and municipal panchayats are from five districts of Amravati division, and 28 from six districts of Nagpur division.
In Nagpur division, nine municipal councils and panchayats are from the district. Sub-divisional officers will be administrators for Kamptee municipal council, Umred, Kalmeshwar-Brahmni, Khapa, Mohpa, Narkhed, Saoner and chief officer for Katol.
Six are from Wardha district — Wardha, Hinganghat, Arvi, Deoli, Pulgaon and Sindhi Railway. In Bhandara district, four — Bhandara, Tumsar, Paoni and Sakoli will be run by administrators. Two municipal councils are from Gondia district — Gondia and Tirora, five in Chandrapur district — Sindewahi-Lonwahi, Ballarpur, Warora, Mul and Rajura and two from Gadchiroli district, namely Desaiganj and Gadchiroli.
In Amravati division, nine are from Amravati district followed by five from Akola district, two from Washim district, nine from Buldhana district and eight from Yavatmal district.