Bill Summary

The Rajasthan Municipalities (Amendment) Bill, 2023

• The Rajasthan Municipalities (Amendment) Bill, 2023 was introduced on March 14, 2023.  It amends the Rajasthan Municipalities Act, 2009.   The Act provides for the constitution of Municipalities.

• Removal of member:  The Act empowers the state government to remove members of a municipality on specified grounds.  A member includes a corporator of a Municipal Corporation, a councillor of a Municipal Council, and a member in case of a Municipal Board.  For certain grounds of removal, the Bill adds that the state government may remove a member if following conditions are met: (i) it is found after his election that he was ineligible on these grounds of removal, and (ii) such eligibility was not questioned by an election petition and the period of limitation for filing such petitions has expired.  These grounds for removal comprise: (i) grounds for disqualification from registration in electoral roll including not being a citizen of India, person of unsound mind, or disqualification from voting under any law, (ii) grounds for general disqualification of members including conviction for certain offences, insolvency, or having more than two children, and (iii) ceasing to fulfil requirements for qualification including having a functional sanitary toilet in the house, having passed secondary school examination, eligibility for reserved seats.