Ahead of the panchayat elections, the State Government has amended three panchayat laws to punish the candidates who give false information in the affidavits.
The Department of Law on Saturday issued an Ordinance amending the Odisha Grama Panchayat Act, 1964, the Odisha Panchayat Samiti Act, 1959 and the Odisha Zilla Parisad Act, 1991.
As per the Ordinance, a candidate who files false information in his/her affidavit will be punished with imprisonment for a period of six months or with fine or with both.
“A candidate who himself or through his proposer, with intent to be elected in an election gives false information which he knows or has reason to believe to be false or conceals any information in his nomination paper or in his affidavit shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to six months or with fine or with both,” read the Ordinance.
Similarly, any elected member of the three-tier Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) will be disqualified if he/she has not furnished an affidavit containing particulars relating to his/her criminal antecedents, assets and liabilities and educational qualifications at the time of filing of nominations.
As the State is facing natural disasters like cyclone frequently, the Government has inserted new provisions to the Grama Panchayats and Panchayat Samities Acts for proper disaster management at the village, panchayat and block levels.
Now the Grama Panchayats and Panchayat Samities can prepare their own disaster management plans at the village, panchayat and panchayat samiti levels, carry out and facilitate relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction activities in disaster-affected areas in accordance with State plan and district plan. The two institutions can also undertake other measures necessary for disaster management. However, this provision has not been included in the Zilla Parisad Act.
For the purpose of this clause, the expression ‘disaster management’ shall have the same meaning as assigned to it under Clause (e) of Section 2 of the Disaster Management Act, 2005, the Ordinance stated.