Nagpur: Following Supreme Court directives, the State Election Commission has got down to the task of conducting civic body polls. The SEC on Tuesday announced that the final boundaries of the Prabhag system would be notified on May 17.
A notification by Avinash Sabnis, Deputy Commissioner, SEC, released the program about the Prabhag system on Tuesday. SEC has to wrap up the Prabhag system by May 10 taking into account various suggestions and objections filed by individuals during the hearing process held earlier. On May 12, SEC has to complete the Prabhag and send it for approval to Chief Election Commissioner, SEC and publish the approved Prabhag for information to the public on May 17.
Since the Supreme Court had directed SEC to notify the civic polls within two weeks, by May end, the SEC machinery has gone into election mode. Polls to elect a new body is due in Nagpur, Navi Mumbai, Vasai-Virar, Ulhas Nagar, Kolhapur, Akola, Amravati, Nashik, Pune, Pimpri Chinchwad, Kalyan-Dombivali, Bruhanmumbai and Thane Municipal Corporations. Barring Brihanmumbai, the rest of the other Corporations will have a three-member Prabhag system.
Earlier, SEC had given in-principle approval on February 1, 2022, to the Prabhag system prepared by respective municipal corporations. Thereafter, public hearings were held in respective cities between February 16 to 25 and the final report was submitted to SEC on March 5. Even as SEC was busy with finalizing dates for polls, the State Government amended the Prabhag system following which the entire exercise was postponed. However, recently the Apex Court dismissed the State Government’s appeal and said elections will have to be held without reservation for OBC.
