The Maharashtra LegislativeCouncil on Wednesday cleared a bill that allows winning SC/ST candidates of village-level elections to submit their caste validation certificate within a period of one year after the results.Rural Development Minister Hasan Mushrif tabled the bill and it was unanimously passed by the house.Mushrif said, After the village-level elections (gram panchayat) get over, the winning candidates elected from reserve wards of SCs/STs will get one-year period to submit their caste validation certificate.They can submit a receipt of application at the time of contesting elections, he said.Some 1,500 gram panchayat are likely to hold elections this summer, he said.
