Municipal Act comes into force

The Telangana Municipalities Act 2019 came into force from Tuesday, following approval from Governor E S L Narasimhan. While the Governor approved the Act with minor correction on Sunday, a Gazette notification to this effect was issued on Tuesday.

Narasimhan wanted removal of a clause that empowers the State government to decide the poll dates for Urban Local Bodies and suggested that the powers must be retained with the State Election Commission. Accordingly, the officials made necessary corrections to the Act and published the Gazette notification.

A few other corrections were also made in the Act as per suggestions made by Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao during the two-day special session of the State Legislative Assembly which was convened to pass the legislation.

He suggested for inclusion of a clause permitting



construction of G+1 (ground and first floor) in land less than 75 sq.metre land without any approval from the ULB.

He also wanted inclusion of another clause allowing online submission of applications seeking building approvals for construction in a land measuring less than 500 sq.metre and height upto 10 metre.

Another correction was also carried out changing the name of Badepalli Municipality to Jadcherla Municipality. The government carried out all the corrections and published the Act in the Gazette notification, paving way for conducting the municipal polls to 131 Urban Local Bodies.

With the approval of the new Act, the Telangana State Election Commission is likely to release reservations of wards and chairpersons posts followed by election schedule in the next a couple of weeks.