After panchayats, Haryana sets educational qualification for municipal polls

Chandigarh: Haryana Cabinet has decided to amend Section 13 A of Haryana Municipal Act 1973 and Section 8 of Haryana Municipal Corporation Act 1994 to make minimum educational qualification compulsory for aspirant of contesting local body polls on the lines of Panchayat polls.

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, in a press conference yesterday, said that minimum educational qualification for male candidates would be matriculation while for females and males belonging to scheduled caste it would be middle pass.

The primary pass women belonging to Scheduled Caste would be able to contest polls. As per proposed amendment, the candidate should have functional toilet at home and he or she should not be defaulter of cooperative bank loans and electricity department.

Earlier, the state government has amended the Panchayati Raj Act fixing qualification for candidates to contest Panchayat polls.

The decision was challenged in the Supreme Court and the apex court had pronounced decision in favour of the state government.