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In a major step towards breaking the criminal-politician nexus in Bihar, the state election commission has barred five gram panchayat mukhiyas from holding their posts.
Section 139 (1)(g) of the Bihar Panchayat Raj Act states that any gram panchayat mukhiya can be removed form his post if he or she has been imprisoned for more than six months in a criminal case.
The disqualified village body heads are Ramsewak Singh of Alawalpur panchayat under Fatuha block of Patna, Ganesh Prasad Yadav of Sara panchayat under Chhapra Sadar block, Ram Swaroop Rai of Saidpur panchayat under Dariyapur block of Saran district, Ram Paras Rai of West Sabalpur (Sonepur) panchayat in Chhapra and Prabhunath Prasad Yadav of Bansghat-Masuria panchayat under Baikunthpur block of Gopalganj.
Elections for these posts will be held later.
The SEC started hearing cases pertaining to the disqualification of 74 gram panchayat members and mukhiyas on June 27. The hearing will be completed by July 24.
Early this year, the state government, led by Chief Minister Rabri Devi, had authorised the commission to disqualify representatives of village councils and other bodies if they had a criminal past or were known to have won elections fraudulently.
The move followed directives from the Patna high court.
Panchayat elections were held in Bihar in April 2001 after a gap of 23 years amid unprecedented violence that claimed 150 lives.
Though the commission had directed that those convicted for more than six months were not be entitled to contest polls, the order was violated.
According to election commission sources, village body members found guilty would not only be disqualified but could also be prosecuted for filing false affidavits at the time of nominations, denying their criminal past.
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