Bill passed in Andhra Pradesh Assembly. (file photo)
The Andhra Pradesh Assembly on Monday passed a bill that provides for granting the right to participate in urban local body elections even to people with more than two children. In the AP Municipal Corporation Act Amendment Bill-2024, a provision has been included to repeal the rule that prevents people with more than two children from participating in urban local body elections.
According to a press release, Municipal Corporations Minister P Narayan introduced this bill in the Assembly four days ago and it was passed without discussion on Monday. To check population growth in Andhra Pradesh, municipal corporate rules were implemented in 1994, under which people with more than two children were prohibited from contesting urban local body elections.
Two bills introduced in state assembly
In fact, the rule that two children can contest local body elections in Andhra Pradesh has been abolished. The government on Wednesday introduced two bills in the state assembly, proposing amendments to the Panchayat Raj and the Municipal Administration Acts. The passage of this bill repealed relevant sections of the law that made people with more than two children ineligible to participate in local body elections.
CM advocated for population growth
Minister for Municipal Administration and Urban Development P Narayan introduced ‘Andhra Pradesh Panchayat Raj (Amendment) Bill, 2024’ and ‘Andhra Pradesh Municipal Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024’ in the Assembly . CM N Chandrababu Naidu has been advocating population growth in the state for better population management. He has stressed that southern states should focus on reducing aging populations in the future as the fertility rate is gradually declining.
