Cabinet nod to direct election of municipal body presidents

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 16

The election of the president in the municipal councils and municipal committees will now be held directly, while candidates appearing for the HCS (executive) exam will have to appear for one optional paper instead of two.

The Haryana Cabinet, which met under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar here today, approved an amendment to the Haryana Municipal Act, 1973, and the Haryana Civil Service (Executive Branch) Rules, 2008, to bring more similarity and uniformity into the pattern being adopted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC).

As per the amendment to the Municipal Act, direct elections will be held to the post of the president of the municipal council and municipal committee under the supervision and control of the State Election Commission on the pattern of the election of mayors of the Municipal Corporations. A provision has also been made in the Act that members of the House of the People and the state Legislative Assembly will not have right to vote for the election and no-confidence motion of the vice-president.

Similarly, a provision has been made to ensure one session of the municipality at least three days once in every six months in addition to the existing provisions of monthly meetings as mentioned in Section 25 of the Municipal Act. The Cabinet also approved Section 52 of the Haryana Municipal Corporation Act, 1994, for the same purpose.

The amended Haryana Civil Service (Executive Branch) Rules, 2008, now called the Haryana Civil Service (Executive Branch) (Second Amendment) Rules, 2019, provide for one optional paper in the main written examination of the HCS (executive branch) and allied services. There will be four papers (three compulsory and one optional).

However, the list of 23 optional subjects and syllabus for the compulsory and optional papers already notified by the state government will remain unchanged. At present, the main written examination of the HCS and allied services consists of five papers — one paper for English, one for Hindi, one for general studies and one each for two optional subjects to be chosen from the list of 23 optional subjects.

After the amendment, the main written examination, comprising four papers, will carry 600 marks. While Paper I of English (including English essay) and Paper II Hindi (including Hindi essay) will be of 100 marks each, Paper III of the general studies and Paper IV in one subject to be selected from the list of 23 optional subjects will carry 200 marks each.

The question papers for the examination will be conventional (essay) type and each paper will be of three hours. Candidates will have the option to answer all question papers, except the language or literature papers, in English or Hindi.

The draft of the Haryana Law and Legislative Department (Group A) Service Rules, 2019, was also approved. As per the rules, no person less than 21 years or more than 42 years of age on the last date of the submission of application to the commission will be appointed to any post in the service by direct recruitment.

Other decisions

• Job of constable to Vikas, son of ESI Dharambir, by giving relaxation; Dharambir sustained bullet injuries in his head in the line of duty, still unconscious and in critical condition
• Transfer of 10 acres, two kanals and two marlas to Maharana Pratap Horticulture University, Karnal, at collector rate
• Elections of newly constituted municipal corporations within five years from date of constitution