Civic, panchayat candidates will have to declare assets, disclose criminal cases!

PANJIM, FEB 28
There will be new rules in force for candidates seeking to contest municipality and panchayat elections as the State Election Commission (SEC) now wishes to make changes to the existing rules.
The State Election Commissioner Dr M Modassir informed Herald on Monday that he will move an amendment to the Municipalities Act as well Goa Panchayati Raj Act that candidates contesting civic polls will have to file an affidavit declaring their assets as well as the number of criminal cases pending against them.
Under the existing CCP Act, 92 candidates presently have not filed any such affidavits since there was no provision made on nomination form.
Currently, those candidates contesting parliamentary and assembly election have to make declaration of the assets as well criminal cases pending against them. But it is not so in the case of civic and panchayat polls.