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TIA NEWS /

SCThe Supreme Court today stayed the implementation of the Haryana Panchayati Raj (amendment) Act 2015. A Bench headed by Justice J Chelameswar also issued notices to the Haryana government and the State Election Commission seeking their response in 4 weeks to a petition filed, challenging the validity of the Act.

Under the Act, minimum qualification is mandatory, matriculation for general category candidates and middle for women and scheduled caste candidates to contest local bodies elections. The Act has been challenged by 3 candidates rendered ineligible to contest the ongoing Panchayat elections. Appearing for the petitioners, senior counsel Kirti Singh and Sanjay Parikh pleaded for stay saying the Act had been notified on September 8, just a day ahead of the nominations opened for the Panchayat polls.

One of the petitioners Preet Singh said that now he could contest the panchayat poll. The Congress and Indian National Lok Dal has welcomed the supreme court`s decision, while a representative of the government has said that the intention of the government is to make panchayats more powerful by giving opportunity to the educated people so that they could not be exploited by the corrupt officers and do better job for the development of villages. Notably the nominations for the first phase of election for Panchayati Raj Institutions are being filed in Haryana.

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