Thiruvananthapuram,11 Dec (H.S.): Theoath‑taking ceremony for members elected in the recent local body polls in Kerala will be held on December 21, and the new governing councils will assume office immediately thereafter. The state government has issued an official notification confirming the schedule.
The tenure of the existing councils concludes on December 20. Although December 21 falls on a Sunday, the government has directed that the swearing‑in must take place on that day itself to ensure continuity of administration. Without such an arrangement, an administrative vacuum would arise, necessitating the imposition of temporary administrative control for at least a day.
Traditionally, under the Kerala Panchayat Raj Act and the Kerala Municipality Rules, meetings of panchayats and municipalities could not be convened on public holidays. Since December 21 is a Sunday, this provision would have prevented the councils from holding their first statutory meeting. To avoid this situation, the government recently amended the rules, exempting the first meeting held after local body elections from the public‑holiday restriction.
According to the procedures laid out in the notification, the seniormost member in each district panchayat, block panchayat, grama panchayat, and municipality will be the first to take the oath. The respective returning officers will administer the oath or affirmation. In municipal corporations, the District Collector will administer the oath to the first member. The ceremonies will begin at 10 a.m. in panchayats and municipalities, and at 11:30 a.m. in corporations.
Immediately after the oath‑taking, the first meeting of the newly sworn‑in councils must convene. The member who took oath first will preside over this inaugural session. During this meeting, a decision will be taken regarding the election of key office‑bearers—including Mayor and Deputy Mayor in corporations, Chairperson and Vice‑Chairperson in municipalities, and President and Vice‑President in the three‑tier panchayat system.
As per the rules, the election for these posts must be conducted with a mandatory three‑day notice period. Therefore, voting for the top posts will take place only after Christmas. The election of standing committee chairpersons will follow in early January.
With the formalities set in motion, Kerala’s newly elected civic representatives are preparing to take charge, marking the beginning of a new administrative cycle across local self‑government institutions in the state.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman
