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A new bill, the Himachal Pradesh Panchayati Raj (Amendment) Bill 2026, introduces stricter disqualification criteria for Panchayat elections, targeting those with charges under the NDPS Act related to heroin trade. It aims to protect grassroots democracy and includes provisions against land encroachment and financial misconduct. The Himachal Pradesh legislative assembly introduced a significant bill Wednesday, focusing on electoral disqualification criteria for Panchayat candidates involved in serious criminal activities. The Himachal Pradesh Panchayati Raj (Amendment) Bill 2026 aims to maintain the integrity of local governance by banning individuals charged under the NDPS Act for heroin-related offenses, commonly referred to as 'chitta' trade. The bill also addresses issues of land encroachment, financial irregularities, and conflicts of interest, while proposing a reduction in quorum requirements for gram sabha meetings.
Shimla, Jul 2 (PTI) The controversy over a five-storey building collapsing in Bhatta Kuffar area in Shimla saw two officials of National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) being booked on Wednesday on complaints by residents for allegedly endangering life and intentional hurt. This came a day after a case was filed against Himachal Pradesh Panchayati Raj Minister Anirudh Singh on charges of wrongful restraint and voluntarily causing hurt after he allegedly assaulted the two NHAI officials while inspecting the building collapse site. The FIR against the minister was lodged on the complaint fil ...Read More >
Gandhinagar (Gujarat) [India], July 4 (ANI): Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel urged newly elected sarpanchs and gram panchayat members to ensure visible cleanliness in villages. He announced that under PM Narendra Modi's vision of "Swachhta Tya Prabhuta (Cleanliness is next to Godliness)," a mass movement for cleanliness has been launched across villages, towns, and cities. Also Read | PM Narendra Modi Conferred With 'The Order of the Republic of Trinidad & Tobago' During Ceremonial Event at President's House in Port of Spain (See Pics and Videos). In this context, the Chief Minister made a s ...Read More >
Jaipur, July 14 (SocialNews.XYZ) For the first time in independent India, senior constitutional authorities, including former Chief Justices of India, Supreme Court judges, Chief Ministers, and Assembly Speakers, are participating in deliberations on the One Nation One Election (ONOE) proposal before the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC), BJP MP and JPC Chairperson P.P. Chaudhary has said. Calling the moment "historic and unprecedented," Chaudhary underlined the scale and seriousness of the consultations. Speaking exclusively to IANS, he said, "For the first time since independence, former ...Read More >
Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], September 26 (ANI): Uttar Pradesh's villages are no longer just hoping for change -- they are becoming living examples of it. During a virtual interaction with Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath as part of the Viksit UP@2047 dialogue series on Friday, Gram Pradhans shared that the development witnessed over the past eight years, which was once only a dream, has now become a reality, energizing and inspiring every village, a release said. Shivkumar Rajbhar, head of Gram Panchayat Tadwa Mahant in the Ikauna block of Shrawasti district, expressed that the entire vill ...Read More >
Lucknow, July 3 (UNI) The Yogi Adityanath government has taken significant steps to strengthen water conservation and land management efforts across rural Uttar Pradesh. As part of this initiative, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has constituted Watershed Committees at the Gram Panchayat level, in line with the guidelines of the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana 2.0. These committees will function under the leadership of the Gram Pradhan to ensure effective conservation, management, and development of local water resources. According to G S Naveen, Chief Executive Officer of the State L ...Read More >
Lucknow, Jul 14 (PTI) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday said the state's health services must be made future-ready to keep pace with global advancements and effectively respond to emerging challenges. He was speaking at the foundation stone laying and inauguration ceremony of various health projects worth Rs 1,000 crore at King George's Medical University (KGMU) here. Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak, who also holds the Health portfolio, and Medical Education Minister Mayankeshwar Sharan Singh were present on the occasion. The chief minister said institutions like K ...Read More >
Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], June 7 (ANI): Two top Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) officials -- secretary A Shankar and treasurer ES Jairam -- resigned from their posts during an emergency managing committee meeting held on Saturday, accepting 'moral responsibility' for stampede near M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. The incident occurred during celebrations following Royal Challengers Bengaluru's (RCB) maiden IPL title win and claimed 11 lives and left dozens injured. KSCA President Raghuram Bhat confirmed the development, saying that the resignations were discussed and accep ...Read More >
Dehradun: The Uttarakhand State Election Commission (SEC), on June 21, issued a notification for the three-tier panchayat elections in 12 districts except Haridwar. Polls would be held in two phases, and the district election officers will issue notifications on June 30. The first phase will be conducted on July 24, followed by the second phase on July 28. The counting for all phases will be conducted by July 31. Earlier, the Uttarakhand High Court had stayed the panchayat elections in the state on June 23, at a time when it had already been notified by the SEC. Elections will be held in 89 ...Read More >
SRINAGAR: A defiant Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday scaled the gates of the Naqshband Sahib graveyard to pay tributes to the 22 people killed by the Dogra army on July 13, 1931. The dramatic scene unfolded a day after Abdullah and several leaders of the National Conference and opposition parties were put under house arrest to prevent them from going to the graveyard to mark Martyrs' Day. National Conference president Farooq Abdullah took an autorickshaw from the Khanyar crossing to the martyrs memorial while Minister for Education Sakina Ittoo surprised everyone by r ...Read More >
The State government has issued orders confirming the number of Mandal Parishad Presidents (MPPs), Zilla Parishad Territorial Constituencies (ZPTCs), and Mandal Parishad Territorial Constituencies (MPTCs). As per official figures, there will be a total of 566 MPP and ZPTC seats, and 5,773 MPTC seats in the upcoming polls. The number of Gram Panchayats has been confirmed as 12,778, while the total number of wards stands at approximately 1.12 lakh. Local body elections were previously held only o ...Read More >
Ajmer (Rajasthan) [India], July 19 (ANI): The Ana Sagar lake in Rajasthan's Ajmer overflowed on Saturday morning, following incessant rain, which caused waterlogging. Due to this, the road connecting Bajrang Garh to the market has been closed. The locals used sandbags in an attempt to stop the flow of water. Also Read | Meghalaya Shocker: Schoolgirl Hacked to Death With Machete by Assailant in East Garo Hills District. Municipal Corporation Chief Engineer Vinod Manohar stated that the cause of waterlogging is due to lake water entering through escape channels, which have been opened by near ...Read More >
Mumbai, July 19 (SocialNews.XYZ) Actor Harshvardhan Rane, who was last seen in 'The Miranda Brothers', is heaping praise on the recently released film 'Saiyaara', and its team. On Saturday, the actor took to the Stories section of his Instagram, and penned a special note for the film and its makers after it witnessed a stellar opening day. He wrote, "Another melodious example of a love story shattering all myths and formulas of the industry. Honest heart wrenching love story wins again in 2025! #Saiyaara". 'Saiyaara', which stars Aneet Padda, and marks the debut of Ahaan Panday, is helmed b ...Read More >
Chandigarh: Officials of Municipal Corporation Chandigarh have revealed that the top 20 property tax defaulters of the city are yet to clear dues of over Rs 190 crore, while property tax arrear cases worth Rs 62 crore are under litigation in the Punjab and Haryana high court. Citing different reasons, occupants of seven properties, out of the top 20, have challenged the MC's arrears amount, following which the authority failed to recover the amount from them. All these properties fall under the commercial category. As per official data of the Municipal Corporation, Chandigarh, commercial prope ...Read More >
New Delhi, Sep 1 (PTI) Floating toilets in Assam, women-led plastic waste management in Odisha, and plastic waste-based road construction in West Bengal -- these were some of the innovations presented by states and Union territories at a roundtable on the Swachh Bharat Mission-Grameen (SBM-G) on Monday. The Centre reviewed the achievements of the states, identified gaps and helped with a future roadmap. The conference, convened by the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation (DDWS) brought together state ministers, senior bureaucrats and mission directors from 28 states and UTs. The focu ...Read More >
Tejashwi Yadav also announced ₹50 lakh insurance cover and pension for them. Tejashwi Yadav was earlier this week declared the chief ministerial candidate for the upcoming assembly elections in Bihar, that the RJD is fighting in collaboration "We will also substantially increase the margin money, per quintal, of distributors of the public distribution system (PDS) in the state," PTI news agency quoted Tejashwi Yadav as saying. PDS distributors in Bihar currently receive ₹258.40 per quintal ...Read More >
Bengaluru, Oct 28 (PTI) In a setback to the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government, the Karnataka High Court on Tuesday stayed the state's order mandating that private organisations obtain prior permission before holding any activities in government-owned spaces. While the government order, issued earlier this month, did not specifically name RSS, the provisions of the order were said to be aimed at impacting the activities of the Hindu right wing organisation, including its route marches. Justice M Nagaprasanna granted an interim stay on the directive and posted the matter to November 17. Me ...Read More >
Dehradun (Uttarakhand) [India], June 28 (ANI): The State Election Commission in Uttarakhand on Saturday issued a notification regarding the conduct of panchayat elections in 12 districts of the state, except Haridwar. The notification signed by Sushil Kumar, Uttarakhand State Election Commissioner, comes after the Nainital High Court on Friday permitted the continuation of the panchayat election process, lifting its earlier stay order issued on June 23. Also Read | Parag Jain Set To Take Charge As New RAW Chief on July 1, Succeeds Ravi Sinha. According to the notification, the three-tier pa ...Read More >
PwDs nominees to receive same benefits as elected councillors Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi has granted assent to bills that empower the state government to nominate persons with disabilities (PwDs) to positions in the municipal administration and rural development departments. Chief Minister MK Stalin took a dig at Ravi while acknowledging the governor's decision. "The Governor has approved the bill for disabled people today ... It was expected as we passed it in the legislative resolution. Mayb ...Read More >
Bareilly (UP), Jul 17 (PTI) A teacher from Bahedi district, who went viral recently after reciting a poem mentioning Kanwar Yatra, approached the police on Thursday stating a threat to his life from anti-social elements. A case has been registered at Bahedi police station based on a complaint from Dr Rajneesh Kumar Gangwar, a teacher at MGM Inter College in the district. According to Circle Officer Arun Kumar Singh, Gangwar's complaint says that ever since his recitation of the poem 'Tum Kanwad Lene Mat Jana, Gyaan Ka Deepak Jalaana' (You don't go get Kavad, light the lamp of knowledge inste ...Read More >
New Delhi: Traffic in central Delhi will be affected on Thursday as the traffic police has issued an advisory due to the Janmashtami and Tazia processions.According to police, the traffic movement in Paharganj is likely to be affected from 1.30pm in view of the shobha yatra for Janmashtami and the Tazia procession.The Janmashtami procession will start from Mandir Shri Banke Bihari Ji in Paharganj's Sangatrasan Bazar and pass through Desh Bandhu Gupta Road, Chuna Mandi, Main Bazar, Munja Chowk and Arakashan Road. The Tazia procession will start from Ajmeri Gate and proceed through Pul Paharganj ...Read More >
Over 200 Panchayat representatives from 28 states and Union Territories are set to attend the Independence Day celebrations at the Red Fort. The focus is on recognizing grassroots leadership with the theme 'Aatmnirbhar Panchayat, Viksit Bharat Ki Pahchan'. A felicitation event will launch an AI-powered app and a new magazine issue. In a significant move to honor grassroots leadership, more than 200 Panchayat representatives from 28 states and Union Territories will attend the Independence Day ce ...Read More >
Gwalior, Sep 13 (SocialNews.XYZ) Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Saturday said that women representing local urban and Panchayat bodies should be given free hand to handle the post for which they have been elected. Scindia said the women are well capable to handle the departments, and there should be no interference from men (husbands). He asserted that when women can run their own families, they can handle the post for which have been elected. The Union Minister made this statement after inaugurating a post office/passport service in Morena district on Saturday. While addressing a ...Read More >
Mr. Revanth Reddy for a comprehensive survey on LED lights requirement across the State Directing officials to take steps for effective supervision of street lighting in rural areas, Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy instructed them to entrust the setting up and maintenance of LED street lights to sarpanches. The gram panchayats should install street lights wherever necessary, and they should be given the responsibility of their maintenance. Panchayat Raj department officials should survey the ex ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], June 8 (ANI): BJP MP Gulam Ali Khatana, who was part of the all-party parliamentary delegation to Europe, said that during their recently conclued visit they successfully communicated India's development story and its resolute stand against terrorism, particularly emanating from Pakistan. Highlighting the delegation's key discussions during the tour, Khatana told ANI, 'We discussed how we dismantled the terrorism factory in Pakistan by responding... We also talked about tourism infrastructure, G20 Summit, and projects like the six-lane roads, bridges, solar initiatives, our ...Read More >
The counting of votes is underway for Uttarakhand's panchayat elections, determining 7,499 gram panchayat pradhan positions. The BJP claims substantial victories, marking a potential for a 'triple-engine' governance. Elections are non-party based, yet political backing plays a significant role. Voter turnout was 69.16% across 89 blocks. The counting of votes continued in Uttarakhand on Thursday for the three-tier panchayat elections, according to the state election commission. Results were alrea ...Read More >
Lucknow: Asserting that the state government was committed to contribute its bit in making the country developed by 2047, UP parliamentary affairs minister Suresh Khanna said on Wednesday that every citizen of the state needs to be associated with government projection of 'Viksit Bharat' and 'Viksit Uttar Pradesh'.On the third day of the UP Assembly's Monsoon Session, a historic 24-hour debate on 'Vision 2047' began Wednesday, with senior ministers outlining plans for economic growth, social justice, environmental protection, and infrastructure. They reaffirmed the Yogi government's goal of ma ...Read More >
Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], September 26 (ANI): Uttar Pradesh villages are no longer just hoping for change -- they are becoming living examples of it. During a virtual interaction with Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath as part of the Viksit UP@2047 dialogue series on Friday, Gram Pradhans shared that the development witnessed over the past eight years, which was once only a dream, has now become a reality, energizing and inspiring every village, a release said. Shivkumar Rajbhar, head of Gram Panchayat Tadwa Mahant in the Ikauna block of Shrawasti district, expressed that the entire villag ...Read More >
The Ministry of Panchayati Raj has introduced a set of digital initiatives to modernise the functioning of Gram Panchayats, according to a statement issued by the Press Information Bureau (PIB) on Thursday, September 25. The measures include artificial intelligence (AI)-based meeting documentation, drone-led property surveys, digital accounting portals and mobile apps that allow citizens to track local governance. Officials said the reforms are aimed at speeding up decision-making, improving tran ...Read More >
Further, Rs 4.698 crore from the withheld portion of the first instalment of the Untied Grant for the Financial Year 2024-25 has also been released to an additional 26 eligible Block Panchayats. The Centre has released over Rs 223 crore under Fifteenth Finance Commission (XV FC) Grants during Financial Year 2025-26 for Rural Local Bodies in Assam. "This entails the second instalment of Untied Grants for the Financial Year 2024-25, amounting to Rs 219.24 crores. These funds are intended for all ...Read More >
Shimla, Jul 17 (PTI) Himachal Pradesh High Court has directed the state government to remove encroachments on forest lands, including the fruit-bearing trees, all across the state and not limit it to some areas. The order was passed by a division bench consisting of Justices Vivek Thakur and Bipin C Negi on Wednesday after the Advocate General placed on record fresh instructions issued by Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, informing that 2,456 apple and other fruit trees have been felled from forest lands in Chaithla village, and 713 and 490 trees in Rohru and Kotgarh forest divisions, r ...Read More >