Dy Mayor, orders HC

Srinagar: The J&K High Court on Friday directed Srinagar Municipal authorities to take a final call on the no-confidence motion moved by the 38 corporators against the Deputy Mayor Parvaiz Qadri.
The court said if the motion is strictly under rules and regulations, let respondent Qadri prove his majority on the floor of the house of the Srinagar Municipal Corporation by or before August 29.
However, the court noted that the SOPs issued from time to time to prevent the spread of COVID-19 including social distancing shall be strictly adhered to.
The plea moved by 38 corporators had signed a no-confidence motion against Deputy Mayor on 14 July, 2020 “but the respondents had failed to convene the special meeting of the Corporation and put the vote for the consideration of no-confidence against the Deputy Mayor.
The petitioners said that they are duly elected corporators/councillors of Srinagar Municipal Corporation and have a statutory and constitutional right to express their no-confidence and exercise their right to vote or against the resolution of no-confidence.
It was stated that the no-confidence motion has been signed by more than half the elected corporators which clearly shows that the incumbent deputy mayor has lost the confidence of the councillors and he does not enjoy the majority support.
“Resultantly, he has no right to occupy the position of Deputy Mayor and his continuation as a deputy mayor is a total negation of not only the statutory laws but also of the well-established democratic norms,” they said.

NUSRAT SIDIQ