Latest news with #JointParliamentaryCommittee
New Indian Express
22-05-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Uttarakhand CM pushes for 'One Nation, One Election,' cites 175 lost days due to model code of conduct
DEHRADUN: Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has strongly advocated for the "One Nation, One Election" policy, emphasising its significant financial and logistical benefits for the Himalayan state. He stated that simultaneous polls would lead to substantial savings and streamline governance. Addressing a Joint Parliamentary Committee on the 'One Nation, One Election' subject at a hotel on Mussoorie Road on Wednesday, CM Dhami underscored the significant disruption caused by staggered polls. "Separate elections lead to repeated imposition of the Model Code of Conduct, bringing all state work to a halt," The Chief Minister revealed a stark statistic for Uttarakhand: "Over the past three years, due to Lok Sabha, Assembly, and local body elections, Uttarakhand's administrative machinery was deprived of policy-making decisions for a staggering 175 days." Speaking on the occassion, P.P. Chaudhary, Chairman of the Joint Parliamentary Committee, stated there's "no fixed timeline" for their 'One Nation, One Election' report. He emphasised, "This crucial work for national interest demands thoroughness, not haste." The committee plans nationwide consultations.
India Gazette
22-05-2025
- Politics
- India Gazette
JPC Chairman PP Choudhary holds press conference over two-day meeting of key amendment bills
Dehradun (Uttarakhand) [India], May 22 (ANI): Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) Chairman PP Choudhary held a press conference in Dehradun on Wednesday. This comes in connection with the two-day meeting of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on the Constitution (129th Amendment) Bill, 2024, and the Union Territory Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024, held from May 21-22. Earlier today, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami participated in a dialogue program with the Joint Parliamentary Committee on the topic 'One Nation, One Election' at a hotel on Mussoorie Road. He welcomed and greeted the Chairman of the Joint Parliamentary Committee, PP Chaudhary and all the committee members. The Chief Minister said that 'One Nation One Election' is an important initiative towards making our democracy more strong, effective and inclusive. CM Dhami said, 'Our election system has been effective and strong despite its diversity. However, because elections are held at different times, the code of conduct is imposed repeatedly, which is why all the work of the states comes to a standstill. Whenever elections come, many personnel must be removed from their original work and put on election duty.' The Chief Minister said, 'For the last three years, due to the code of conduct of the Assembly, Lok Sabha, and Municipal elections in the state, the administrative machinery of the state was deprived of the process of taking policy decisions for 175 days. For a small and limited resource state, these 175 days are important from the point of view of governance.' The Chief Minister said that the state government bears the entire expenditure burden of the assembly elections, and the central government bears the expenditure burden of the Lok Sabha elections. 'If both polls are held together, the expenditure burden on the state and the central government will be equally halved. By holding both the elections together, there will be a saving of about 30 to 35 per cent in the total expenditure. This can be used in many areas of the state, such as health, education, road, water, agriculture, and women's empowerment,' said CM Dhami. The Chief Minister said that in Uttarakhand, the period from June to September is the time of rain along with the Chardham Yatra; in such a situation, many problems must be faced due to the election program. He said, 'The election process should not be scheduled during the last quarter of the financial year, from January to March. Due to the high school and intermediate board examinations in February-March, administrative resources are under additional pressure.' He said that 'One Nation, One Election' is important in hilly and difficult geographical conditions, such as in states like Uttarakhand. The Chief Minister said that it is difficult to reach polling booths in remote areas of Uttarakhand, which is why the election process takes more time and resources. He also said that it is also challenging for voters in mountainous areas to participate in elections, due to frequent elections, people's inclination towards voting decreases, and the voting percentage also decreases. (ANI)
India Gazette
22-05-2025
- Politics
- India Gazette
Uttarakhand CM Dhami participates in JPC dialogue program on One Nation, One Election
Dehradun (Uttarakhand) [India], May 22 (ANI): Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Wednesday participated in a dialogue program with the Joint Parliamentary Committee on the topic 'One Nation, One Election' at a hotel on Mussoorie Road. On this occasion, he welcomed and greeted the Chairman of the Joint Parliamentary Committee, PP Chaudhary and all the committee members. The Chief Minister said that 'One Nation One Election' is an important initiative towards making our democracy more strong, effective and inclusive. He said that our election system has been effective and strong despite its diversity. However, because elections are held at different times, the code of conduct is imposed repeatedly, which is why all the work of the states comes to a standstill. Whenever elections come, many personnel must be removed from their original work and put on election duty. The Chief Minister said that in the last three years, due to the code of conduct of the Assembly, Lok Sabha and Municipal elections in the state, the administrative machinery of the state was deprived of the process of taking policy decisions for 175 days. For a small and limited resource state, these 175 days are important from the point of view of governance. The Chief Minister said that the state government bears the entire expenditure burden of the assembly elections, and the central government bears the expenditure burden of the Lok Sabha elections. If both polls are held together, the expenditure burden on the state and the central government will be equally halved. By holding both the elections together, there will be a saving of about 30 to 35 per cent in the total expenditure. This can be used in many areas of the state, such as health, education, road, water, agriculture, and women's empowerment. The Chief Minister said that in Uttarakhand, the period from June to September is the time of rain along with the Chardham Yatra; in such a situation, many problems must be faced due to the election program. Apart from this, the election process should not be scheduled during the last quarter of the financial year, from January to March. Due to the high school and intermediate board examinations in February-March, administrative resources are under additional pressure. He said that 'one nation, one election' is important in hilly and difficult geographical conditions states like Uttarakhand. The Chief Minister said that it is difficult to reach polling booths in remote areas of Uttarakhand, which is why the election process takes more time and resources. It is also challenging for voters in mountainous areas to participate in elections, due to frequent elections, people's inclination towards voting decreases, and the voting percentage also decreases. (ANI)
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Business Standard
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Business Standard
No one can claim government land as Waqf, Centre tells Supreme Court
The Centre told the Supreme Court on Wednesday that no one can claim government land as Waqf, even if the land has been used for religious or charitable purposes for decades. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta made this argument on behalf of the government during the ongoing hearing on petitions challenging the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025. The government specifically addressed properties declared as 'Waqf by user' — meaning land considered Waqf solely due to long-term religious use, even without formal documentation. 'Nobody has the right over government land,' Mehta told the bench of Chief Justice BR Gavai and Justice Augustine George Masih. He cited a prior Supreme Court judgment allowing the state to reclaim government land, regardless of whether it was labelled as Waqf. 'Parliament has full competence to pass the law' Mehta asserted that no affected parties have filed petitions against the amendment, and there is no question of parliamentary overreach. 'This law was passed after consultations with state governments and waqf boards,' Mehta said, adding that a Joint Parliamentary Committee also vetted the bill. SC to examine role of district officials, board membership Petitioners have argued that only a senior officer above the district collector should have the authority to decide whether land belongs to the government or is Waqf. Mehta rejected this, calling it 'not just misleading but a false argument". The Centre has asked the Court to focus on three core questions: Whether the government can remove Waqf status from land declared as such by deed, use, or court order Who can serve on Waqf boards and the Central Waqf Council — with debate over whether only Muslims should be allowed Whether land cannot be Waqf if a collector's inquiry confirms it is government property 'Waqf law has presumption of constitutionality' In a written submission, the Centre said Waqf is a secular legal concept, and argued that the law cannot be stayed while constitutional validity is under challenge. 'It is a settled position that courts do not stay statutory provisions unless a glaring case is made out,' the Centre said. This argument echoes Chief Justice Gavai's remarks from Tuesday: 'There is a presumption of constitutionality in favour of every statute. For interim relief, you have to make out a very strong and glaring case.' Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025 The Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025 became law on April 5, after President Droupadi Murmu signed the Bill. It was passed in the Lok Sabha with 288 MPs supporting it and 232 voting against it. In the Rajya Sabha, 128 voted in favour and 95 opposed the Bill.
Time of India
05-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Waqf Act will deliver justice: Min
: Union minister of state for external affairs and textiles Pabitra Margherita on Monday said Waqf Amendment Act 2025 is meant to correct the longstanding social injustice and ensuring welfare for the common people. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Talking to media persons in Aizawl, Margherita said passage of the Waqf Amendment Act 2025 will deliver social justice through transparent and inclusive development which will uplift the conditions of the people. He said the 31-member Joint Parliamentary Committee conducted a study on 7,772 petitions within five months when they held 38 meetings and also held consultations with 282 representatives of different organisations. "The amendment bill was deliberated in the Parliament for around 25 hours before passing the bill. This shows that the act was passed by representatives of the people in the true sense of democracy," he said. A two-day Waqf Sudhar Jan Jagran Abhiyan Workshop, organised by the state BJP unit, concluded on Monday under the chairmanship of Margherita
