Municipal laws, PR Bills passed
The Legislative Assembly on Thursday adopted the Telangana Panchayat Raj Bill 2018 and the Telangana Municipal Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2018 unanimously by a voice vote.
The Bills are aimed at creating new village panchayats and municipalities and empowering them with more funds and powers. Nagar panchayats have been abolished and henceforth there will only be municipalities and municipal corporations in urban areas.
Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao said the elections to village panchayats will be held as scheduled before their term expires in July and direct election will be held to elect sarpanch.
Elections will have no political party affiliations. Henceforth, new municipalities and gram panchayats will be created only with the approval of Assembly. There will be no change in reservations for 10 years as against the stipulated five years held at present.
No minimum educational qualifications are required to contest as sarpanch against the minimum qualification of SSC as required earlier.
Appellate Authority in the place of panchayat raj minister will be constituted to enable sarpanches to appeal in case they are suspended for any reasons.
Sarpanch and upa sarpanch have been given joint cheque power and village secretary will be removed from service if tax targets are not met and the survival rate of saplings planted under Haritha Haram is less than 85 per cent.
For the first time, the state government will release funds to panchayats every quarter. Budgetary allocation of `1,200 crore has been made this year. Each panchayat will get a minimum of `3 lakh and maximum of `20 lakh depending on population.
Panchayats will have the power to approve building construction plans of G+2 in 300 sq.yard plots with height not exceeding 10 metres.
Mr Rao said a comprehensive Municipal Act will be made and brought either in Monsoon or Winter Session of the Assembly. “At present, we made certain amendments to existing Municipal Act, to facilitate the formation of new panchayats,” the CM said.