Haryana Assembly passes bill to amend Panchayati Raj Act

Chandigarh, Sep 18 (UNI) Haryana Assembly today passed an amendment bill seeking to smoothly conduct the elections of Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) and to deter those trying to contest elections by filing false caste certificates or false affidavits.

The Haryana Panchayati Raj (Second Amendment) Bill, 2007, moved by Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, which sought to amend the Haryana Panchayati Raj Act, 1994, was passed by a voice vote in the absence of the opposition Indian National Lok Dal members, who had boycotted the assembly proceedings earlier in the day.

''It is necessary to deter those persons from contesting elections to the Panchayati Raj Institutions who by filing false caste certificate or false affidavits or by making false declaration to try to circumvent the laws of the land to their advantage,'' said the statement of objects and reasons of the bill.

Such persons would be disqulified for a period of six years to contest elections, it added.

The House also passed the Haryana Cooperative Societies (Amendment Bill) to give full voting rights to the depositors, giving freedom of investment and borrowings to the Cooperative Credit Structure, autonomy in personnel policy, staffing recruitment and audit of banks by panel of chartered accountants.

The bill was moved by Cooperation Minister Harmohinder Singh Chatha and was passed by a voice vote.

UNI