A virtually headless Patna Municipal Corporation (PMC) has left residents in the lurch in the run-up to Diwali and Chhath. The result: Solid waste management, water supply and drainage worth more than Rs 30 lakh stuck.

PMC, which has neither a mayor nor a deputy mayor, has been left to fend for itself with none to oversee any big civic projects.

The mayor's portfolio is lying vacant for almost four months, while that of his deputy since last Friday. The urban development and housing department removed Rup Narayan Mehta from the post last Friday on charge of frequently absconding from civic body meetings.

The absence of the mayor and deputy mayor implies that there would not be any meeting of the PMC board and its empowered standing committee. The PMC board comprises 72 ward councillors and the mayor chairs its meeting. The PMC board takes decisions for all schemes involving funds of more than Rs 30 lakh.

The PMC empowered standing committee, on the other hand, comprises six ward councillors, the mayor, the municipal commissioner and a few other senior PMC officials. The standing committee needs to clear all proposals tabled at the meeting of the PMC board.

Though the municipal commissioner heads the PMC in the absence of the mayor and deputy mayor, he has his limitations in exercising executive powers. "In simple words, the municipal commissioner acts like a governor of the state in case of presidential rule. But that is not the case, as the department has not issued any directive to vest all powers of the mayor and his deputy with the commissioner. Thus, prevailing norms say that the commissioner has the power to execute schemes up to Rs 30 lakh apart from his other executive powers," said Vinay Kumar Pappu, former deputy mayor and councillor of ward number 28.

Sources in PMC, however, claimed that the absence of the chiefs of the elected representatives in the civic body would not cause much hassle in the preparations for Diwali and Chhath. "While most preparations for Diwali would be executed by the commissioner based on his executive powers, the urban development and housing department has authorised the commissioner to float tenders for preparation of Chhath ghats at an expected outlay of Rs 71 lakh," said a senior official in PMC.

Former mayor Afzal Imam, however, claimed that the preparations of Chhath would not be as smooth as witnessed in previous years. "The mayor and deputy mayor play a key role in the preparation of Chhath, as they convey messages from the ward councillors to the officials doing work on the ground. But this time, the officials would execute the work as per their will without much feedback from the elected representative," said Imam.

Imam had lost his portfolio as mayor through a no- confidence motion moved against him in a special meeting of the PMC board on July 16. He however retained his designation in the election for the same held on August 11. Sources claimed that 38 votes were cast in favour of Imam, while his opponent Jeet Kumar from the camp of former deputy mayor Rup Narayan Mehta received 33 votes.

However, the results were not declared owing to hearing of a petition at Patna High Court against the candidature of Imam. A petition, challenging the right of Imam to contest the mayoral election, has been filed in the court by former deputy Mayor Vinay Kumar Pappu and the court has reserved the final order in the same.