STATE ELECTION COMMISSION REMOVED MUNICIPAL COUCIL CHAIRMAN FROM HER POST FOR PENDING HOLDING TAX

BUXAR (RNI) State Election Commission removed the Municipal Council Chairman Sunita Gupta from her post for pending holding tax for the last three years. Her removal became talk of the town. Some people said that rules should not have been ignored to get a prestigious post like chairman while some other said that the pace of development work will stop.

The State Election Commission, Patna under section 18(1)(K) of the Bihar Municipality Act 2007 has taken the decision with the objective of ensuring transparent operation  and lawful functioning of the munipal body. After the dismissal of Sunita Gupta, the post of Chairman in Dumraon Municipal Council is vacant for the time being. As per the Municipal Act, all the responsibilities except financial powers will be performed by the Deputy Chairman Vikas Thakur and the financial power was invested in the EO, Manish Kumar and all the schemes that was worked on during her  tenure will be investigated.

It is known that as per the Bihar Municipality Act, 20074, if for any reason the Chairman of the Municipal Council is dismissed or removed, only the Deputy Chairman can use the powers to call the board meeting, preside over it and take necessary decisions. However, the financial powers will still remain with the Executive Officer of the Municipal Council. The Deputy Chairman can be given the power to maintain immediate stability in the functioning of the council. As per the rules, the process of election of a new Chairman in place of the dismissed Chairman has to be completed within six months. Under the guidelines of the Election Commission, the election process in this regard will be started soon in Dumaron Municipal Council. 

Besides, in the affidavit filed during the election, Sunita Gupta did not mention many properties of hers and her husband Pratap Narayan Gupta situated in the Nagar Parishad area and neither did she pay the holding tax in the financial year before the election year which is a violation of the provisions of Section 445 of Bihar Municipal Act. On confirmation of this, the State EC disqualified her and removed her from the post under Section 18A of the Bihar Municipal Act 2007.

The plaintiff Asha Devi had alleged in her cae that Sunita Gupta has mentioned the details of four properties in the election affidavit in which only the holding tax of one property was paid apart from this, there are many houses and plots in the Nagar Panchayat area in her husband’s name too which was not shown in the affidavit and neither was the holding tax paid. Asha Devi gave details of the properties bought in the name of Sunita Gupta and her husband in her support and apart from the two properties gifted to Sunita Gupta by Musmat Champa Devi and purchased land from Moti Lal Gond and others in the name of Sunita Gupta Buxar district administration verified the documents and in its report found the allegation to be true.

Sunita Gupta became to first Chairman to win the election by direct vote of the people. It is worth mentioning that Sunita Gupta became the first Woman Chairman of Dumaron Nagar Parishad. There have been many discussions about her tenure since the beginning but the issue of the same holding tax, which she had promised to remove in the election manifesto, has put an end to her political journey. The issue of holding tax remained hot in the Nagar Parishad area during her entire tenure. During this time, people protested many times regarding the holding tax despite the Nagar Parishad did not reduce the holding tax but before contesting the election, she herself did not deposit the holding tax on her properties due to which she had to lose her seat.

Sunita Gupta said that the land being mentioned is in title suit i.e. judicial dispute and that is why she did not deposit the holding tax on it. However, the State EC did not accept this argument and dismissed her from the post. She said that she is determined for the development of the Dumraon as ever.

Plaintiff Asha Devi said that this is the victory of the people, the city will not be allowed to be looted.