Ahmedabad: After failing to get Governor
Kamla`s approval to the bill that sought to make voting
mandatory in local bodies election in the state, the Gujarat
government today said that it would once again pass the
legislation in the assembly.
"It is a privilege of the Governor to return a bill.
As far as the government is concerned, we will again place the
bill before the state assembly and pass it," government
spokesperson Jaynarayan Vyas said.
When asked if the government would modify the bill
with regard to the objections raised by the Governor, Vyas
said, "This being the matter of privilege of the Gujarat
Assembly, I would not like to make any comment. To pass it
(Bill) with any kind of modification or without it, is the
privilege of the assembly. But we will definitely go back to
the assembly and try for the passage of the bill."
Meanwhile, Minister for Urban Development Nitin Patel
said, "We would stick to the present form of bill for now. We
will decide what to do when the time comes."
Kamla had returned the bill saying the legislation
would violate the Constitution. The governor also objected to
the clause that called for punishment for those choosing not
to vote.
The Gujarat Local Authorities Laws (Amendment) Bill,
making voting mandatory in local bodies elections, was passed
by the Gujarat assembly in December 2009.
PTI
