(1) The Government may appoint such officers, as may be required, for the purpose of inspecting or superintending the operations of the Municipalities constituted under this Act.
(2) (a) The Government may appoint such officers, as they may consider necessary, to assist them for the purpose of inspecting or superintending the operations of all or any of the municipalities constituted under this Act;
(b) In particular, and without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing provisions, the Government may appoint Regional Directors of Municipal Administration and define the territorial jurisdiction of each such officer, for the above purpose, in the manner prescribed.
(3) The cost of the officers and the members of the establishment, aforesaid, shall be paid from the Consolidated Fund of the State.
(4) The Regional Directors of Municipal Administration shall exercise such powers and perform such functions, as may be prescribed by the Government or as may be delegated to them, under this Act.
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(5) The officers appointed under sub-section (1) and clauses (a) and (b) of sub-section (2) or any other officer or person, whom the Government may empower in this behalf, may enter on and inspect or cause to be entered on and inspected, any premises and execution of any work as may be prescribed,-
(a) any immovable property or any work-in-progress under the control of any municipality;
(b) any school, hospital, dispensary, vaccination station, choultry or other institution maintained by, or under the control of, any municipality, and any records, registers or other documents kept in such institution;
(c) the office of any municipality and any records, registers or other documents kept therein.
(6) The municipality, and its officers and employees, shall be bound to afford to the officers and persons aforesaid, such access, at all reasonable times, to municipal property or premises, and all documents as may, in the opinion of such officers or persons, subject to such rules as prescribed, are necessary to enable them to discharge their duties under this section.
(7) The officers and persons aforesaid shall, on their visit to the municipality, sign and record any remark deemed necessary on a register maintained for such officers in the prescribed proforma. He shall submit the inspection report with due findings and endorsement to the next higher officer. In case the higher authority, at a later date, finds any omission or irregularity committed by a municipality but not reported by the inspecting officer, the inspecting officer shall be liable for disciplinary action.
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(8) The officers appointed under this section shall inspect all Municipalities in their jurisdiction at least once in three months.
(9) The inspection shall be conducted in accordance with the format, as may be prescribed,-
(a) covering all the responsibilities;
(b) quantifying the functions; and
(c) evolving the benchmarks for every function, as provided under the Act, in respect of the municipality.
(10) The annual inspection programme of an authority shall be approved by the next higher authority at the beginning of every financial year.
(11) The inspecting officers shall prepare a monthly advance tour programme and obtain the approval of the next higher authority.
(12) The inspecting officers shall also submit tour diaries to the next higher authorities, which shall be reviewed regularly and approved.
(13) The inspecting officers shall send inspection report to the municipality and submit a copy of the same to the next higher authority within one week of completion of inspection and seek a report from the Commissioner, who is bound to submit such report within a fortnight.
(14) On receipt of a report from the Commissioner, the same shall be submitted to the higher authority.
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(15) The higher authority shall, in turn, submit a report to the Government, on the lapses pointed out by the inspecting officer and the report of the Commissioner. The Government shall take action on the lapses reported, if any, where the explanation is not satisfactory.
(16) Inspecting officers shall also make surprise inspections in addition to the programmed ones.
(17) Organising capacity building programmes to the municipal functionaries and elected representatives.
(18) The District Collector shall supervise and monitor the functioning of the municipalities and take all necessary actions as deemed appropriate for its smooth functioning.
73. If the Government or District Collector is of the opinion that,-
(a) any duty or responsibility imposed on any municipal authority, by or under this Act, has not been performed,
(b) adequate financial provision has not been made for the performance of any such duty the Government or the District Collector, may, by order, direct the municipal authority, within a period to be specified in the order, to make arrangements for the proper performance of the duty, or to make financial provision for performance of the duty, as the case may be:
Provided that unless, in the opinion of the Government or the District Collector, the immediate execution of such order is necessary, the Government or the District Collector shall, before making an order, under this section, give the municipal authority, an opportunity of showing cause as to why such order shall not be made.
Government or the District Collector Power to Require the Performance of Duties and Responsibilities.
72 [Act No. 11 of 2019] Government’s or the District Collector’s power to take action in certain cases.
Government’s powers to undertake work for Municipality.