HC puts state on notice

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 31

The Punjab and Haryana High Court today issued notice of motion on a petition filed in public interest challenging the validity of the Haryana Panchayati Raj (Amendment) Ordinance, 2015.

The notice comes less than a month after the Haryana government decided to amend the Haryana Panchayati Raj Act, 1994, making it mandatory for candidates in panchayat elections to have the basic educational qualification and functional toilets at home.

The development is significant as the PIL by the People’s Union for Civil Liberties through counsel Arjun Sheoran has challenged the validity of all the clauses inserted by the impugned ordinance, including one on charges framed in a criminal case and functional toilets.

The High Court has already stayed the operation of a clause that made the basic education mandatory for contesting the panchayat poll. The state, meanwhile, has claimed that the Haryana government would soon introduce a Bill to amend the Panchayati Raj Act. Once in place, it would include the clause for making the educational qualification mandatory for candidates contesting the panchayat poll in the state.

A Division Bench hearing the matter was also told that the Bill would be introduced in the upcoming session of the Haryana State Assembly from September 2. As the case came up for resumed hearing, a statement to this effect was made by counsel for Haryana.