Amid strong opposition by BJP MLAs, Uttar Pradesh Nagar Nigam (Amendment) Bill-2015, which empower government to curtail powers of mayors and remove them from their posts was passed in the Assembly by voice vote.
As soon as Parliamentary Affairs minister Azam Khan stood up to table the Bill, leader of BJP legislature party, Suresh Khanna opposed it and members of his party came into the Well of the house.
While BJP opposed the Bill terming it as against democracy, Khan said it was just an amendment for making the heads of Nagar Nigams (municipal corporations) answerable and make a uniform law for all Nagar Nigams.
BJP, which presently has holds the post of Mayor in nine of 13 Nagar Nigams, however, did not buy government's claim and continued shouting slogans in the Well.
When they did not relent to the requests to return to their seats, Speaker Mata Prasad Pandey took up budgets of 41 departments which were passed by voice vote amid the din without debate.
Leader of Opposition Swami Prasad Maurya (BSP) opposed passage of departmental budgets without debate and staged a walkout alleging that there was an understanding between the BJP and the government over it.
Khan later brought supplementary agenda and got the Bill passed by voice vote.
The Bill provides for enhancing the financial powers of chairman of Nagarpalika and Nagar Panchayat to Rs five lakh and Rs one lakh respectively, while that of mayor has been kept at Rs 15 lakh.
It also provides for merger of UP Nagar Nigam Act 1959 and UP Nagar Palika Act 1916. It has provisions of removal of mayor of municipal corporations, and Nagarpalika and Nagar Panchayat chairman by the government.
Amid the din, UP Control of Goonda (Amendment) Bill, 2015, and UP Gangsters and Anti-Social Activities (Amendment) Bill 2015 were also passed by voice vote.
