Even a month after the completion of the elections to 213 urban local bodies there are no signs of democracy returning to them as the Urban Development Department has failed to issue notification on finalising reservation for the posts of presidents and vice presidents, and mayors and deputy mayors.

The election process was completed on October 3 and by this time the new incumbents in all the ULBs should have assumed office had the government taken adequate measures to fix reservation for posts under various categories in time.

The local authorities have received notification on the number of posts of presidents  and vice presidents reserved for different categories for 44 City Municipal Councils (CMC), 94 Town Municipal Councils (TMCs) and 68 Town Panchayats.

However, notification on reserving the posts of mayor and deputy mayors for the seven CMCs - Gulbarga, Bellary, Hubli-Dharwad, Belgaum, Davanagere, Mysore and Mangalore - is yet to be received. Elections to the Bruhat Bangalore Maha Nagarapalike  are yet to be held.

The number of posts that go to different social categories such as SC, ST, Backwards Class A, Backward Class B, and General has been finalised. And in each of these categories not less than one third of the posts should be reserved for women.

Sources say the broad reservation for the posts of presidents and vice presidents for the 206 ULBs including CMCs, TMCs and TPs for which elections have been completed have been completed. The cumbersome task of prescribing ULB specific reservation is yet to be completed. According to sources, the task would have been still difficult has there been a popular government as it will be under tremendous pressure to reserveposts for their favourite groups of influential politicians.

The sources said a draft notification for finalising ULB specific reservation has been issued by the Urban Development Department and the final notification may be issued anytime.

Meeting

After the issue of final notification for ULB specific reservation of posts the Regional Commissioners will issue notification for convening the first meeting of the elected representatives of City Corporations for the purpose of election of mayor and deputy mayors, and the deputy commissioners of the district will issue notification for the election of presidents of CMCs, Assistant Commissioners for TMCs and Tahsildars for Town  Panchayats.