(1) The Government or the District Collector, may, either suo-motu or on a representation of Chairperson or Vice Chairperson or Member or Commissioner or employee of a Municipality, by notification, suspend any Chairperson or Vice-Chairperson or Member who, in their opinion, willfully misbehaved or manhandled any other Member or officer or employee of the municipality, or destroyed the property of the municipality, or used unparliamentary language or abused his position in the course of meetings of the Municipality, or during the discharge of any duty vesting Government or the District Collector's power to suspend Chairperson or Vice-Chairperson or Member.
62 [Act No. 11 of 2019] upon the Chairperson or Vice-Chairperson or Member or officer or employee, so as to lead to a situation in which the municipal administration cannot be carried on in accordance with the provisions of this Act, or the financial stability of the municipality is threatened, for a period not exceeding six months, pending investigation into the said charges and action thereon under the foregoing provisions of this section.
(2) The Government or the District Collector shall, before taking action under sub-section (1), give the Chairperson or the Vice-Chairperson or the Member concerned an opportunity for explanation, and the notification issued under the said sub-section shall contain a statement of the reasons for the action taken by the Government or the District Collector:
Provided that the Chairperson or the Vice-Chairperson or member aggrieved by the order of suspension passed under sub-section (1) within 30 days from the date of receipt of order or as the case may be the intimation, prefer an appeal to the Municipal Tribunal:
Provided further that a person suspended under this section shall not be entitled to exercise the powers and perform the functions attached to his office and shall not be entitled to attend the meetings of the Municipality, except a meeting held for the consideration of a no-confidence motion against the Chairperson or Vice-Chairperson.
(3) When the Office of Chairperson is vacant, the Vice Chairperson shall exercise the powers and perform the functions of the Chairperson, until the Chairperson resumes duty, or a Chairperson is elected and assumes office. When the Office of Vice-Chairperson is also vacant, any elected member of the council shall be chosen as the Chairperson by other members for the period of such vacancy and he [Act No. 11 of 2019] 63 shall exercise the powers of Chairperson until the duly elected Chairperson or Vice-Chairperson resumes office.