Madhya Pradesh: Poll code holds up Kolar bifurcation

BHOPAL: After the model code of conduct for elections came into force on March 10, several important works of the state government, some of which are essentially done before the new financial year, have been put on hold. These include the bifurcation of Kolar municipality.


Besides, though the state government might have got permission to auction liquor shops in the new financial year, it won’t be able to introduce a new excise policy as expected.

Revision of collector guideline rates for properties in Bhopal city is one such job that has been put on hold.

The process of revision had been undertaken and proposal sent to the committee headed by the district collector for revision of land rates at 92 locations in the city, but the committee had sent it back to the evaluation committee for re-analysis in its March 5 meeting.

The evaluation committee was supposed to place its fresh recommendations in the next meeting of the collector-led committee, but it couldn’t be done as general elections were announced on March 10 and the model code of conduct came into force. Only after results of the general election are announced and model code of conduct revoked can the process can go ahead.

Bifurcation of the Kolar Municipal Council from the Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) was another job taken up by the new Congress government with an intention to get all formalities completed as soon as possible. Amid protests by the BJP, the process to create Kolar township as a separate civic entity was moving at a fast pace when it came to a halt after the model code of conduct came into being.

“The district administration had sought claims/objections over the proposal. We had submitted our objections, but there has not been any call for hearing so far,” said local BJP MLA, Rameshwar Sharma, who was opposing the move.

Though the Election Commission had permitted the state government to carry out a fresh auction of liquor shops in the new financial year, sources in the excise department maintained that the commission has only allowed them to auction the shops in the way it was done in the current financial year. Over the years, the BJP government had been pursuing the policy of reallocating the shop to the contractor concerned if he agreed to pay 20% more than the contract money offered in the previous year and continue with the business in the new financial year.

“There were speculations that the new government would introduce a new excise policy and it was expected, too. But the Election Commission has made it clear that shops would be reallocated in the same manner as in the current year, thereby ruling out fresh auction of liquor shops,” said a senior official of the excise department.

When asked whether any more important plans of the state government are on hold due to the model code of conduct, district collector, Sudam Khade, said: “Several jobs sanctioned under MPLAD or MLALAD funds, work on whom had not begun, are on hold.”