Plea seeks self-government status for Gandhinagar
Tuesday, 23 September 2008, 19:30 IST
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Ahmedabad: The Gujarat High Court Tuesday admitted a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking the local self-government status for state capital Gandhinagar. Jayant P. Bhatt, counsel for the petitioner Gandhinagar Shaher Jagrut Nagrik Parishad, told IANS that the state government had in December 2007 mooted a proposal to give the local government or municipal corporation status to Gandhinagar, about 40 km from here. "As per article 243 (q) and 243(r) of the constitution and as per the 1994 amendment to Article 74, it is mandatory for all state governments to establish local self-government in large urban areas," he said. Gandhinagar, a planned township that was developed as state capital after the Bombay state was carved into Maharashtra and Gujarat in 1960, has been part of the Ahmedabad district administration. "If Junagadh with a population of 165,000 can be declared the seventh municipal corporation in the state, why not Gandhinagar with 195,000 inhabitants?" Bhatt pointed out. Advocate General Kamal Trivedi appeared for the state during the hearing.
Source: IANS
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