RAJ KUMAR
Ranchi, May 15: The Jharkhand High Court asked the state government to file a counter affidavit in a petition seeking tenure extension of Ranchi Municipal Corporation ward councillors in public interest.
Hearing a petition, a single bench of Justice Rajesh Shanker asked the state government to file its reply within four weeks. In the meantime, no interim order has been issued.
The petition arose after the tenure of 53 ward councillors ended on April 28 but the state government did not conduct an election. The list of petitioners includes Roshini Khalkho, Arun Kumar Jha and Vinod Kumar Singh besides others.
The petition mentions the government failure in conducting local body election despite sufficient provisions under Section 20 of Ranchi Municipal Act. It has been said in the petition that due to non-election of the corporation, many works have been affected.
The petition also mentions that all the work related to the public has been handed over to the officers and common people having no approach to government officials face problems or they have to run for the work to the office which was earlier being done in their respective wards.
The petitioner had pointed out earlier the state government had extended the tenure of local body representatives in rural areas.
Outgoing councillor Jha confirmed the development saying the next hearing in the case will take place on June 27.
