Panchayat Polls In Odisha: Candidates Need To Declare Criminal History, Assets & Education; Check Punishment For False Declaration

Bhubaneswar: Candidates contesting the panchayat elections in the state, slated early next year, will have to declare details of their criminal antecedents, assets and educational qualifications while filing nomination papers, according to a state Law Department notification issued on Friday.

The Law Department issued the notification after Odisha Governor Ganeshi Lal promulgated an ordinance on Thursday to amend the panchayat laws in the state to insert the new clauses.

According to the Law Department’s notification, under the amended laws, “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.”

On December 19, the State Election Commission (SEC) released the model code of conduct for the panchayat elections, which are likely to be held by March 2022.