& çâÌæÚUæð´ ·¤è ¥ôÚU Îð¹Ùæ ÁæÚUè ÚU¹ð´ ¥ÍæüÌ ¥ÂÙð ÜÿØ ÂÚU ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´Ð ãæÚU Ù ×æÙð´, €UØô´ç·¤ ·¤æ× ·¤ÚUÙð âð ¥æÂ·¤ô ©gðàØ ·¤è Âýæç# ãôÌè ãñ ¥õÚU ÁèßÙ ·¤æ ¹æÜèÂÙ ÎêÚU ãôÌæ ãñÐ ÖÜð ãè ÁèßÙ ×ð´ ç·¤ÌÙè Öè ·¤çÆÙæ§ü €UØô´ Ù ¥æ°, çÁ™ææâæ ¥õÚU ©ˆâæã ÕÙæ° ÚU¹ð´Ð ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´, ÜÿØ ã×ðàææ ¥æÂ·Ô¤ Âæâ ãôÌð ãñ´ çÁ‹ãð´ ÂæÙð ·Ô¤ çÜ° ÂýØæâ ¥æÂ ·¤Öè Öè àæéM¤ ·¤ÚU â·¤Ìð ãñ´Ð

Bill passed empowering govt to defer UP polls

By Staff Correspondent
The Jatiya Sangsad yesterday passed a bill empowering the government to defer the Union Parishad elections to a period which would be specified by the government through gazette notification.
BNP lawmakers termed the legislation a 'black law' and opposed passage of the bill, arguing that it was violative of a few provisions of the Constitution.
The bill — the Local Government Union Parishads (amendment) Bill. 1997 — proposed that "where, for any reason. the elections cannot be held within the period" specified in the existing law. "that election may be held within a period, after expiry of the term of the Union Parishad. as the
government may. by notification in the official gazette, specify."
Before the passage of the bill, it was mandatory for a government to hold elections within 180 days before the expiry of the tenure of the Union Parishads.
The bill was passed by voice vote with the BNP legislators strongly opposing the spirit of the legislation. Two Jatiya Party MPs opposed the idea of giving the government the power to 'defer the election for an indefinite period,' although they did not vote against the bill.
However, defending the bill LGRD Minister Zillur Rahman told the House that the five-year term of seven, out of a total of
4461 Union Parishads, would expire on February 28, the tenure of some of the remaining Parishads would expire in April and May. "But there would be problems to hold the polls In April or May due to monsoon and inclement weather.
' "Besides, we have to defer the SSC and HSC examinations scheduled to be held at that time, which the government is unwilling to do." the minister said. "On top of all. we have come up with the amendment with a view to giving perfection to the existing law by adding a provision that would keep a . scope for holding the polls if. for any reason, the elections could not be held within a spe-
cific period."
Earlier, senior BNP legislators like Sheikh Razzak Ali, Jamiruddin Sircar. Salauddin Kader Chowdhury, Ziaur Rahman and Dr Mayeen Khan opposed passage of the bill, arguing that it had sought 'unlimited power' for the government especially in terms deferring the local level polls. They said that the bill had eventually proposed empowering the government to defer the polls for an indefinite period which was violative of the spirit of the Constitution.
A large number of BNP and JP lawmakers also proposed several amendments, most of them suggesting a specific period for deferment of the polls that ranged from 45 days to 180 days. But they were rejected by voice votes. M K Anwar of the BNP refused to argue in favour of his proposed amendments as the Chair allocated him 'only two minutes' for justifying four amendment proposals.
it can be mentioned here that the last cabinet meeting had resolved that the UP elections would be held in September this year.