Jodhpur, April 30 -- The Rajasthan high court has directed the state government to immediately establish a division-level monitoring mechanism over the failure of municipal councils and boards across the state to conduct mandatory meetings. The court emphasised that elected representatives cannot be allowed to shirk their statutory duties and that the government cannot justify inaction under the pretext of decentralisation. The order was issued on Monday while rejecting the petition filed by Mamta Choudhary, chairperson of the Dausa municipal council, who challenged her suspension under Section 39(6) of the Rajasthan Municipalities Act, 2009. The court expressed "astonishment" over the widespread non-compliance, stating: "This Court feels astonished that out of total 282 Municipal Councils/Boards, in several Municipal Councils/Boards, regular six meetings in a particular year, as per Section 51 of the Act of 2009 have not been conducted for last so many years and no action has been taken against the defaulters." The top court issued a mandamus to Department of Local Self Government, directing the formation of a committee or monitoring system at the division level to oversee the functioning of all Municipal Councils and Boards.htc...