Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

New amendment will ensure transparency in local bodies

N.J. Nair

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: With the passing of the Kerala Panchayat Raj (Third Amendment), 2005, in the Assembly, the nature of elections to local bodies institutions to be held in September will undergo a change.

The latest amendment to the Kerala Panchayat Raj Act, 1994, will ensure more transparency and also more scope for effective public intervention in the administration of the local self-government institutions.

The amendment has placed the onus on those contesting the elections to furnish details of their educational qualification, the property owned by them and other family members, liabilities, including arrears, due to any public sector undertaking or Government and also whether they have been disqualified for defection under the Kerala Local Authorities (Prohibition of Defection) Act, 1994. Each candidate will also have to come clean about his background, mainly of involvement in criminal cases while filing the nomination.

Though this system is already in vogue in respect of those contesting the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections, it is being attempted for the first time in the civic elections.

By passing the amendment, Kerala has set a model for others in cleansing the administrative mechanism at the grass root level.

Now each candidate contesting the civic elections will have to file an affidavit on his personal and family assets, immovable property, involvement in criminal cases and also the nature of the punishment undergone, if any, before filing the nomination papers. According to the amendment, the secretary of the panchayat, municipality or corporation will put up on the notice board the affidavit filed by each candidate. This will provide an opportunity for each candidate to make a clear assessment of his rival. The voters can also make a suitable choice after scanning the affidavit of all those contesting the elections. If the election of a winning candidate is challenged in the court, the affidavit filed by him will be taken as the basic document. If proved guilty of filing a false affidavit, he will be disqualified.

There is also a provision to nail those furnishing false details. The Act has been armed with provision to prevent its misuse for political and personal ends.

The powers to take action against the guilty have not been vested with the panchayat or municipal secretary since their judgment may be swayed by their political affiliations as well as personal preferences and prejudice.

Moreover, it may be used a means for settling personal and political scores too. If a candidate is disqualified, it will affect his prospects in contesting the future elections too.

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