Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has promulgated an Ordinance ‘The Odisha Panchayat Laws (Amendment) Ordinance, 2021’ to amend ‘The Odisha Grama Panchayats Act, 1964’, ‘The Odisha Panchayat Samiti Act, 1959’ and ‘The Odisha Zilla Parisad Act, 1991’.
A notification in this regard has been published by the Law Department in ‘The Odisha Gazette’ on Friday, the 24th of December, 2021.
As per the provisions, the candidates contesting the elections for Sarpanch, Samiti members, Nominee or Zilla Parishad members, all have to compulsorily submit the complete profile information during their nomination. Besides, there is a provision of six months jail term, or with fine, or with both for candidates giving false information or concealing any data.
The new rules will be applicable in the upcoming Panchayat elections scheduled to be held in February 2022.
“If a candidate who himself/herself or through his/her proposer, with intent to be elected in an election gives false information which he/she knows or has reason to believe to be false or conceals any information in his/her nomination paper or in his affidavit which is required to be delivered shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to six months, or with fine, or both,” read the notification.
As per the Amendment to the Odisha Gram Panchayats Act, more powers have been vested upon Panchayat representatives so that they can be engaged in relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction activities for Disaster Management.
