Two kids norm for fighting U’khand panchayat polls

Dehradun, June 26

The Uttarakhand Assembly today unanimously passed a Bill barring people with more than two children from contesting panchayat polls and also making minimum educational qualification mandatory for rural election candidates.

The Uttarakhand Panchayati Raj (Amendment) Bill, 2019, was tabled in the Assembly yesterday and a discussion was to be held today. But that could not be done as the Opposition disrupted the proceedings.

The Bill was passed unanimously by voice vote amid the bedlam in the House by the Opposition, insisting on a debate on a video purportedly showing “some people close to the Chief Minister negotiating a monetary deal”.

The amendment approved by the Assembly makes it mandatory for panchayat poll candidates to have passed Class 10. While women and SC/ST male candidates need to pass only Class 8, SC/ST women need to pass only class five to be eligible to contest in rural polls. Panchayat polls in Uttarakhand are due later this year. — PTI