Maharashtra Assembly gives nod to bill on caste validity certificate
India TodayThe Maharashtra Assembly on Wednesday approved a bill to allow gram panchayat members to submit their caste validity certificates within a year of winning elections. The bill, which was unanimously passed by the House, will ensure that the aspiring candidates are not barred from contesting the elections if they do not have a caste validity certificate, he said. The minister also said that the social justice and rural development departments were working on a comprehensive policy to expedite the process of providing the validity certificate to those having caste certificates. Meanwhile, during a debate on the bill, Shiv Sena member Sanjay Raimulkar alleged that a government official had demanded a bribe of Rs 1.5 crore for providing the caste validity certificate from him.