Latest news with #Amendment)Act
Time of India
5 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
In a rare instance, Kolhapur villagers vote out directly elected sarpanch for ‘poor performance'
Kolhapur: Residents of a village in this western Maharashtra district voted out the sarpanch for his "unsatisfactory performances" and "tendency to take unilateral decisions" on Thursday, two years after they had elected him to the post. Officials on Friday confirmed that exercising the right to recall and remove a directly elected sarpanch by the villagers of Kasba Beed was a rare instance in the state. Kasba Beed gram panchayat members were not satisfied with sarpanch Uttam Varute's way of functioning and passed a resolution to move a no-confidence motion against him. In the 2022 election, Varute had won the post of sarpanch by 98 votes. A member of his panel had also successfully contested the poll. However, 10 members of the opposition panel won at the same time. "The opposition was angry with the fact that the post of the sarpanch went to the other panel. Despite this, I ensured that every member is consulted while making decisions over funds. The no-trust motion was politically triggered. They had offered me to resign respectfully, but I faced the motion as I did not do anything wrong," said Varute. Varute is a Shiv Sena worker, while the opposition panel is led by Patil, who is a Congress supporter. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Lose Weight at Night – a Teaspoon is Enough Beauty Ideas Read More Undo The Maharashtra Village Panchayats (Amendment) Act, 2017, has a provision of a majority (not less than three-fourths of village panchayat members) can bring in such a resolution. The law states that the no-confidence motion can be brought only after the sarpanch completes two years in office. In accordance with the law, the resolution was passed at a special gram sabha meeting where every resident of the village was eligible to vote. The voting was held in the presence of an official deployed by the district collector. The no-confidence motion was passed with 1,041 people voting in favour of unseating the sarpanch, while 713 were against the motion. Satyajit Patil, who was the first directly elected sarpanch of the village, took the lead in moving the no-trust vote against Varute. He said: "Varute would not take into confidence the village panchayat members while utilising govt funds. This was one of the points of contention." . Subsequently, a section of the gram panchayat members wrote to the tehsildar about their intention to unseat the sarpanch. The meeting to pass the no-trust motion was introduced before the official. Subsequently, district collector Amol Yedge notified an election to get the motion to vote in the gram sabha. The election was accordingly held on Thursday. Datta Kakade, president of Sarpanch Parishad Maharashtra, said: "There are only a handful of cases where a directly elected sarpanch was ousted out of office by re-voting. One of the members from the elected members is chosen to become sarpanch for the remaining two-and-a-half years of the tenure. This provision was added to avoid direct election, which requires money and machinery. The process of direct election of sarpanch has more pros than cons. A directly elected sarpanch represents people's will and does not have to be at the mercy of the local legislator."
Indian Express
03-07-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Crackdown in Haryana 50% revenue officials to face chargesheets
Over 100 tehsildars and naib tehsildars in Haryana are set to face chargesheets for executing land deals allegedly in violation of rules, with Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini approving the action. Around 50 per cent of the total working strength of tehsildars and naib tehsildars in the state are accused of registering residential plots without mandatory clearances for the past few years. Currently, 58 tehsildars and 156 naib tehsildars are posted across Haryana's tehsils to oversee various types of land transactions. The sanctioned strength is higher — 96 for tehsildars and 219 for naib tehsildars. According to sources, the Haryana Revenue Department had initially proposed action against 45 tehsildars, 61 naib tehsildars, 14 district revenue officers (DROs), and nine Haryana Civil Services (HCS) officers — bringing the total to 129. However, chargesheets have now been approved against 118 of them, while no action has been deemed necessary against 11 officers. Officials who executed more than 50 land registrations will face charges under Rule-7 of the Haryana Civil Services (Punishment & Appeal) Rules, 2016. This rule allows for major penalties, including dismissal, removal, or compulsory retirement from service. Those who executed fewer than 50 registrations will be charged under Rule-8, which provides for minor penalties such as censure, withholding of promotion, or increment. As per existing regulations, revenue officers are required to register agricultural land—especially land falling within municipal committee jurisdictions—only after obtaining clearance from the Town and Country Planning Department and the respective municipalities. In such cases, a No Objection Certificate (NOC) under Section 7-A of the Haryana Development and Regulation of Urban Areas (Amendment) Act, 2017 is mandatory. 'But these officers executed the registration of land without due clearance. Final action following issuance of chargesheet will be taken after examining their replies,' a senior state government officer told The Indian Express. Sources revealed that agricultural land was sold for residential colonies or industrial use without obtaining CLUs (Change of Land Use), allegedly to evade heavy stamp duty and other charges. 'The same process was adopted for registration of residential plots,' said an official. However, a revenue official highlighted the practical challenges faced by tehsildars. 'Many of these cases of plots were those which already have all basic amenities including roads and streetlights. In several of the cases reached for registration and sale of the plots were those already having registration of the land concerned. What was the fault of a tehsildar if the land concerned had already a land registration document,' the official said. The latest decision to chargesheet revenue officers comes less than a month after the state government approved similar action against 80 officials from the Irrigation Department, following the failure of multiple construction material samples from ongoing irrigation projects in quality tests
New Indian Express
28-06-2025
- Health
- New Indian Express
Abortions in Kerala rise 76% over nine years
KOLLAM: Kerala has recorded an over 76% jump in abortion cases over a nine-year period, given the improved access to reproductive healthcare, according to data with the Health Management Information System (HMIS) portal. The state reported 30,037 abortions in 2023-24, compared to 17,025 in 2014-15, marking a 76.43% increase. In the latest period, 21,282 abortions were conducted in private hospitals, while government hospitals accounted for only 8,755 cases, indicating a growing reliance on private healthcare facilities. The data includes both spontaneous and induced abortions. In 2023-24, the state reported 20,179 induced abortions and 9,858 spontaneous abortions. In 2014-15, abortion procedures were almost evenly split between public and private hospitals, with 8,324 and 8,701 cases respectively. However, since 2015-16, private hospitals have consistently recorded a higher share of cases. From 2015-16 to 2024-25, Kerala reported a total of 1,97,782 abortion cases, of which only 67,004 were in government hospitals. Private hospitals accounted for 1,30,778 cases during this period. The report also noted a steady rise in induced abortions over the period under under review, reflecting better access to reproductive healthcare. Health experts, however, express concern over the increasing dependence on private hospitals and stress the need to strengthen the public health sector. Speaking to TNIE, Dr Leema, senior gynaecologist at the Women and Children Hospital, Thiruvananthapuram, said more patients now prefer private institutions due to better facilities and enhanced privacy. 'Medical termination of pregnancy (MTP) is a high-risk procedure,' said Leema. 'It is high time govt invested in better infra' 'Under the MTP (Amendment) Act, 2021, the permissible abortion limit has been extended from 20 to 24 weeks. Most women seeking abortions today are aware of their rights. They trust private hospitals for better operational care, post-procedure support, and, importantly, privacy — something often lacking in government institutions. Women today don't want to take risks with their lives and naturally lean towards private care,' she said. Dr Pandu R, senior gynaecologist at Kannur MCH, said it is high time the government invested in better infrastructure to regain public trust.
The South African
25-06-2025
- Politics
- The South African
Another African president seeks re-election after decades in office
On 24 June 2025, Uganda's National Resistance Movement (NRM) confirmed that President Yoweri Museveni will seek re-election in January 2026. Currently 80 years old, Museveni is Africa's fourth-longest-serving leader, having taken office on 29 January 1986. Furthermore, NRM Electoral Commission Chairperson Dr. Tanga Odoi confirmed that Museveni will run for both president and party chair in 2026. Museveni became president in 1986 after a five-year guerrilla war against Milton Obote's government. Initially, many Ugandans and international observers praised Museveni for restoring stability and reviving the economy. This followed years of authoritarian rule under former Presidents Idi Amin (1971–1979) and Milton Obote (1966–1971; 1980–1985). He stayed in power by eliminating the presidential term limit in 2005 and the age limit in 2017. According to Museveni, 'Ideological clarity, not biological age, is what defines leadership.' Robert Kyagulanyi, known as Bobi Wine, has announced his 2026 presidential candidacy against President Museveni. Wine, who lost in 2021, says there was a lot of fraud and voter suppression in the election. Opposition leader Kizza Besigye remains vocal against the government despite facing treason charges linked to a 2024 kidnapping. Moreover, human rights groups (Amnesty International, etc.) have spoken out against the arrest and harassment of opposition leaders, stating that it is making democracy less strong. On 16 June 2025, President Museveni signed the Uganda People's Defence Forces (Amendment) Act, which brought back military courts for civilians even though the Supreme Court ruled them illegal in January. On 23 June 2025, lawyer and rights activist Dr Dennis Daniel Ssemugenyi filed a petition with the Constitutional Court to challenge the constitutionality of the 2025 Uganda People's Defence Force (UPDF) Amendment Act. Furthermore, this has raised more concerns about the independence of the judiciary. Human Rights Watch (HRW) accused the Ugandan government in May 2025 of silencing dissent through random arrests and threats. Human rights groups (Freedom House, HRW, etc.) warn that Uganda is becoming more authoritarian under Museveni's 39 years in power, even though the country's infrastructure has improved. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 11. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news
Hans India
24-06-2025
- Business
- Hans India
CM Siddaramaiah, Aamir Khan exchange pleasantries at Rashtrapati Bhavan
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah met Bollywood actor Aamir Khan at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi on Tuesday. The two greeted each other and exchanged pleasantries. According to the Chief Minister's Office, 'When Chief Minister Siddaramaiah visited Rashtrapati Bhavan to meet the President, he had a brief encounter with the sensitive Bollywood actor-director Aamir Khan. They exchanged pleasantries and conveyed best wishes to each other.' Upon spotting Aamir Khan at Rashtrapati Bhavan, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah waved at him. Aamir Khan greeted the Chief Minister with folded hands and extended his wishes. The two then shook hands and had a brief, cheerful conversation. Photos of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Aamir Khan greeting each other have gone viral on social media. CM Siddaramaiah arrived in Delhi on Monday night. He is also scheduled to meet Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs Nirmala Sitharaman at 4.50 p.m. According to the CMO, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will discuss with President Droupadi Murmu the pending proposals awaiting the President's assent. Seven legislations passed by the Congress-led government in Karnataka are awaiting presidential assent. These include: The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (Karnataka Amendment) Bill, 2015, The Karnataka (Mineral Rights and Mineral Bearing Land) Tax Bill, 2024, The Notaries (Karnataka Amendment) Bill, 2025, and The Registration (Karnataka Amendment) Bill, 2025. The Chief Minister is also expected to discuss the controversial Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurements (Amendment) Act, 2025, which seeks to provide a 4 per cent quota for Muslims in government contracts, and the Karnataka Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowments (Amendment) Act, 2024, aimed at regulating temples. CM Siddaramaiah has also strongly urged the Central government to ensure fair allocation of funds to Karnataka under the 16th Finance Commission, highlighting that Karnataka has suffered a loss of around Rs 80,000 crore in allocations when compared to the 14th Finance Commission. He is likely to discuss the matter with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
