Delay in declaring the mayoral election result is affecting the day-to-day work in Patna Municipal Corporation.
Fresh elections to the post were held on August 11. Former mayor Afzal Imam polled 38 votes, sources said, against opponent Jeet Kumar's 33 votes. The results are yet to be declared because of a hearing on Imam's right to contest the polls pending the high court.
In this period of deadlock, deputy mayor Roop Narayan Mehta has been trying to convene meetings to discuss civic matters, which the opposing camp claims he is not authorised to. A ruckus broke out among the councillors on Monday when Mehta convened a board meeting. Failing to discuss the agenda, he has convened another meeting of the board on Friday.
However, according to the Bihar Municipal Act, 2007, in the absence of the mayor, the next senior member of the board - in this case, the deputy mayor - is allowed to convene such board meetings.
Imam and his supporters are in no mood to support the meeting though and possibilities of a disturbance like Monday's is likely.
Abha Lata, the ward No. 4 councillor and a staunch supporter of Imam, said: "We would continue to protest against any meeting of the board held under the chairmanship of deputy mayor Mehta as he is not authorised to convene such meetings. Mehta is desperate to hold the meeting but we would not allow it. The agenda for the meeting convened by him on Monday have already been deliberated at various levels, including the empowered standing committee, and there is nothing new to it."
The agenda includes purchase of sanitation equipment under the solid waste management project, commencement of door-to-door collection of waste and allowing compensatory employment to the kin of PMC workers, who die during employment period.
Abha and Imam's other supporters did not allow Mehta to sit on the designated chair for the chairman of PMC board on Monday. This had led to a ruckus between the two camps.
Mehta strongly criticised Imam and his supporters for obstructing the day-to-day work in the civic body. "There is a constitutional way for elected representatives to register their protests in the meeting of the PMC board but Imam and his supporters are simply indulging in vandalism. I have convened the next meeting of the board on September 4 and it would be the responsibility of the PMC administration to ensure that the meeting is held peacefully. Civic works are not being carried out since July because of this deadlock over holding the PMC board meetings," he said.
The tussle between two groups of councillors started after voting for the mayor was conducted on August 11. The results have not been declared because of the pending hearing in Patna High Court on a petition filed by former deputy mayor Vinay Kumar Pappu.
Imam had been ousted from the mayor's post through a no-confidence motion moved against him in a special meeting of the PMC board on July 16.
