Government Official Can t Be State Election Commissioner : Supreme Court Rebukes Goa
The court ruled that henceforth all states should appoint an independent election commissioner while hearing a case relating to municipal polls in Goa.Â
Supreme Court of India. Photo: PTI
Law12/Mar/2021
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday ruled that state government officials cannot be made state election commissioners to ensure that the independence of the poll body is not compromised while issuing orders in a case relating to municipal polls in Goa.
“All states and territories in India shall henceforth ensure that it has an Independent State Election Commissioner as mandated under Article 243(4) of Constitution,”
Goa assembly. File photo
PANAJI: The state assembly on Thursday passed the Goa Municipalities (Amendment) Bill, 2021, paving the way to increase wards and to declare reservation of seats at least seven days before the date of notification of the general elections.
In December, the government informed the high court of Bombay at Goa that the notifications for delimitation and reservation of seats will be issued by the appropriate authorities, at least three weeks prior to the date of the notification of the schedule for municipal elections.
Chief minister Pramod Sawant said that in five municipalities, there is an increase in voters, and that is the reason the bill was introduced.
Goa withdraws controversial municipal ordinance amid pressure from merchants
By IANS |
Published on
Sat, Jan 23 2021 18:03 IST |
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Goa CM announces recruitment for 10,000 govt vacancies. Image Source: IANS News
Panaji, Jan 23 : The Goa government on Saturday withdrew a controversial amendment made last month to the state s municipal act, which would phase out the existing leases of stores and shops in municipality run markets in Goa to only ten years.
The amendment had been opposed by merchants across the state, who had even threatened the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government with a day-long strike in protest earlier this week.
The Goa Municipalities (Amendment) Ordinance, 2020, which was promulgated last month, had aimed to streamline and restrict the lease of a shop or store in municipal markets, between a merchant and the local municipality to ten years only.