BHUBANESWAR: The State government has promulgated an Ordinance making it mandatory for candidates contesting the panchayat polls to submit personal details at the time of filing nominations.
The ‘Odisha Panchayat Laws (Amendment) Ordinance, 2021’ published in the Odisha Gazette said candidates contesting for the posts of Sarpanch, Samiti members, Zilla Parishad members have to mandatorily furnish an affidavit containing particulars relating to their criminal antecedents, assets, and liabilities, and educational qualification at the time of filing of nomination.
As per the Ordinance, if a candidate or the proposer, with intent to be elected in an election, gives false information which the candidate knows or has reason to believe to be false or conceals any information in the nomination paper or in the 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.
The State Government has also promulgated the Ordinance to amend The Odisha Grama Panchayats Act, 1964, The Odisha Panchayat Samiti Act, 1959 and The Odisha Zilla Parisad Act, 1991.
Now it has been made mandatory at the grassroots level for candidates contesting for posts in Panchayati Raj Institutions.