Puri: The chairperson of Delang Block in Odisha’s Puri district has been removed from her position for having three children, thereby violating the Orissa Panchayat Samiti Act. An election tribunal court passed an order in this direction on Thursday.
According to reports, Basanti Sahu was elected a member of the Harirajpur Panchayat Samiti in the 2022 panchayat elections in the state. Later, she was elected the chairperson of Delang Block Samiti. One Ramadevi Raut Roy brought allegations against Sahu on March 25, 2023 saying that she violated the two child norm of the Orissa Panchayat Act as she has three children.
The matter was on trial in the Senior Civil Judge-cum-Election Tribunal Court and on Thursday the court passed a verdict that read “Sahu should be dismissed from the position of Delang Block chairperson as well as Harirajpur Samiti Sabha for violating the norm as provided in the Orissa Panchayat Samiti Act, 1959 Section 45 (V).”
Section 45 of the Orissa Panchayat Samiti Act, 1959, details the norms for disqualification of a member. The Section 45 (V) of the Act prescribes that a member is disqualified if he/she has more than two children.
Aside from dismissing Basanti Sahu from the position, the court held that Manorama Routray will hold the position of Delang Block Samiti chairperson.
