Shimla, Mar 5
Himachal Pradesh Government today laid a bill in the state assembly to conduct Municipal Corporation election on the party symbols after amendment in the H.P. Municipal corporation act 1994. Urban Development Minister Suresh Bhardwaj today introduced this bill which would come for discussion in the coming budget session.
Bhardwaj said that presently, the elections to the Municipal Corporations in the State
are held on the basis of free symbols and the contesting candidates set up by the political
parties are not allotted the reserved symbols. ” The legislation proposed to amend the Himachal Pradesh Municipal Corporation Act, 1994 so that the candidates of the political parties may be allotted symbols reserved to them. ” he said.
This bill would also provide stability in the Municipal Corporations as new provision inserted to provide for disqualification of members in case of defections.
The bill also proposed to enhance quorum of the house for considering a no confidence motion against Mayor or Deputy Mayor to three-forth from the present limit of one-half.
In view the spirit of the article 243 T of the Constitution of India, a provision was
incorporated in the legislation to provide for reservation in the Office of Mayor of the
Municipal Corporations to the Other Backward Classes (OBCs).
Currently there is no bar to the defaulter(s) of the Cooperative Societies to contest elections. Therefore, a provision was made that such defaulter(s) would be disqualified from contesting the elections of the Municipal Corporations.
Minister said that proposed amendments would help strengthen the MC Act, make it more compatible with being need of the hour, he added.
