Pushing more female representation in government sectors, the Odisha State housing and urban development department has issued a draft notification stating that the position of next mayor of Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) will be reserved for women. The same reservation has been made for the Berhampur civic body.
According to the notification, the post is unreserved in the Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC). Earlier, women have headed the Berhampur Municipal Corporation and CMC, but this is the first time that the seat has been reserved for them in the BMC.
The department has invited any objection or suggestion from all interested persons within 15 days. These shall be submitted and reviewed by the director, municipal administration. After a thorough review of the objections/suggestions, the final list of the reservation will be published.
After the State government’s amendment, the mayor of the municipal corporation is now directly elected by the people living in the corporation area. Meanwhile, conforming to the earlier practices, the deputy mayor is elected by the corporators from among themselves at the first meeting of the corporation.