Inability to hear and speak or being afflicted with diseases like leprosy and tuberculosis may no longer prevent a person from becoming sarpanch of a gram panchayat in Odisha.
The Naveen Patnaik government on Friday introduced the Odisha Panchayat Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2016, proposing to do away with disqualification clauses such as being deaf-mute and patients of leprosy and tuberculosis for election or nomination as sarpanch.
“The provisions relating to disqualification on the ground of deaf-mute, tuberculosis and leprosy are now available in the Act have practically become redundant as these diseases are now curable. Therefore, the disqualification is proposed to be amended from the law,” said Arun Kumar Sahoo, State Panchayati Raj Minister on Friday.
This amendment has been proposed in Odisha Gram Panchayat Act, 1964, Odisha Panchayat Samiti Act, 1959, and Odisha Zilla Parishad Act, 1991.
In Odisha, over 2,12,000 leprosy patients have been identified since 2001 while 45,000 tuberculosis patients were detected in the year 2015. According to health experts, both diseases are curable and the government has developed health infrastructure for dealing with diseases.
“When there are ample examples of physically challenged persons achieving fame and success in different fields, not allowing them to become sarpanch and contribute to development process at grassroots level is not a good idea. The proposal to get rid of deaf-mute as a disqualification is a welcome step,” said Sarat Chandra Samantsingh, a resident of Raharpur in Jagatsinghpur.
The government also proposed to increase the minimum of years of holding office for chairpersons of panchayati raj bodies from two to two-and-a-half years before facing no confidence motion.
“It is experienced that ‘no confidence motion’ is being moved against the chairpersons of the PRI bodies on completion of two years according to the provisions of law. Now, the period of two years is a small time for planning, implementing and monitoring schemes and programmes, which are implemented at grassroots level,” pointed out Mr. Sahoo.
He proposed the period of two years be enhanced for another six months so as to enable the chairpersons to hold office for two years and six months.
