Maha govt tables Bill for temporary postponement of polls linked to ZPs, panchayat samitis

Nagpur, Dec 16 (IANS) The Maharashtra government on the first day of a weeklong winter session, on Monday, presented a bill to temporarily postpone the elections of the presidents, vice-presidents and chairmen of the Subject Committees of some Zilla Parishads (ZPs) and chairmen and deputy chairmen of some Panchayat Samitis for 90 days.

The elections for these posts were due in October-November and due to the state Assembly elections held in November, the government earlier had issued an ordinance as both Houses of the state legislature were not in session.

However, with the commencement of the winter session, BJP Minister Chandrakant Patil presented the Bill in the state Assembly.

Patil said the government had issued an ordinance on October 14. “The general elections to the state legislative assembly were likely to be held in November. On account of the election, all collectors and staff of the district collectorate as well as police personnel were busy with preparation for the election and would have been occupied with pre and post-election duties. To rule out any overlapping of the elections and any possible undue pressure on civil and police administration and any law and order problem or any inconvenience to the citizens, the candidates and the electors concerned, it was considered expedient to temporarily postpone the elections of the Presidents, Vice Presidents and Chairmen of the Subject Committees of some Zilla Parishads and Chairmen and Deputy Chairmen of some Panchayat Samitis for a period of 90 days,” reads the Bill.

According to the Bill, all the presidents, vice-presidents and chairmen of the Subject Committees of some Zilla Parishads and chairmen and deputy chairmen of some Panchayat Samitis, whose terms of office are deemed to have been extended or are extended, as the case may be, shall throughout the extended period, be deemed to have been and be competent to exercise all powers, perform all the duties and discharge all the functions.

The arrangements shall be made by the Collectors and other officers concerned to hold the elections of the president, vice-president and chairmen of the Subject Committees of some Zilla Parishads and chairmen and deputy chairmen of some Panchayat Samitis in accordance with the provisions of the Zilla Parishad Act and the rules made thereunder before or as soon as possible after the expiration of the extended term of these office bearers, reads the Bill.

The Minister also presented the Bill to amend the Maharashtra Municipal Councils, Nagar Panchayats and Industrial Townships Act, 1965 to provide for the election of the president and vice-president by elected councillors from among themselves and a two-and-half-year term of such officers. In the case of the indirectly elected president and vice-president of the Nagar Panchayats, the term has been considered for five years.

(Sanjay Jog can be contacted at sanjay.j@ians.in)

–IANS

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