**Executive Summary**
This document is a publication of the Maharashtra Act No. XXX of 2025, concerning the extension of the period for submitting validity certificates for individuals elected to reserved seats in Village Panchayats, Zilla Parishads, and Panchayat Samitis. The Act, which was published on July 10, 2025, retroactively comes into force from April 30, 2025, replacing the earlier Ordinance. It provides a twelve-month extension from the date of commencement of the Act for submitting the required certificates.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Title and Commencement:**
* The Act is titled "The Maharashtra Temporary Extension of Period for Submitting Validity Certificate (for certain elections to Village Panchayats, Zilla Parishads and Panchayat Samitis) Act, 2025."
* It is deemed to have come into force on April 30, 2025.
* **Extension of Period for Submitting Validity Certificate:**
* Applies to persons contesting general or bye-elections held on or after August 1, 2022, till the commencement of the Act.
* Those who applied to the Scrutiny Committee before filing nomination papers and were elected, and whose application is pending, have twelve months from the Act's commencement to submit their Validity Certificate.
* Individuals whose election was terminated due to not submitting the Validity Certificate are reinstated and given twelve months from the Act's commencement to submit the certificate. Failure to submit within this period will lead to retrospective termination of election.
* **Exemptions:**
* The extension does not apply where bye-elections have been held on the specified seats before the Act's commencement or where the application for the Validity Certificate has been rejected by the Scrutiny Committee.
* **Legal Proceedings:**
* All legal proceedings related to disqualification for not submitting the Validity Certificate are abated if the extension of period is granted under this Act.
* **Power to Remove Difficulty:**
* The State Government may address any difficulties arising from the Act's provisions by issuing orders in the Official Gazette, provided they are consistent with the Act.
* No such order can be made after one year from the Act's commencement.
* Every order must be laid before each House of the State Legislature.
* **Repeal and Saving:**
* The Maharashtra Temporary Extension of Period for Submitting Validity Certificate Ordinance, 2025 is repealed.
* Actions taken under the repealed Ordinance are deemed to have been done under the corresponding provisions of this Act.
**Impact Analysis**
**Impact**
* **Elected Members/Sarpanchs/Councillors/Presidents/Chairpersons:** Those elected to reserved seats in Village Panchayats, Zilla Parishads, and Panchayat Samitis who have pending Validity Certificate applications or whose elections were terminated for not submitting the certificate within the original timeframe.
**Action Required**
* Those with pending applications must submit their Validity Certificate within twelve months from the Act's commencement (July 10, 2025).
Key Entities Referenced
Maharashtra Temporary Extension of Period for Submitting Validity Certificate (for certain elections to Village Panchayats, Zilla Parishads and Panchayat Samitis) Act, 2025: An Act extending the period for submitting validity certificates for elected members in Village Panchayats, Zilla Parishads, and Panchayat Samitis in Maharashtra.
Village Panchayats, Zilla Parishads and Panchayat Samitis: Local self-governing bodies in Maharashtra to which the act pertains.
Maharashtra Village Panchayats Act: The principal act governing Village Panchayats in Maharashtra.
Maharashtra Zilla Parishads and Panchayat Samitis Act, 1961: The principal act governing Zilla Parishads and Panchayat Samitis in Maharashtra.
महाारााष्ट्र शाासन रााजपत्र असाधााराण भााग आठ, जुलैै १०, २०२५/आषााढ १९, शाकेे १९४७ 1
RNI No. MAHENG /2009/35528
महाारााष्ट्र� शाासन रााजपत्र
असाधााराण भााग आठ
वषाष ११, अंके २७] गुरूवारा, जुलैै १०, २०२५/आषााढ १९, शाकेे १९४७ ]पष्ृठे 3, किंकेमं त : रुपयेे २७.००
असाधााराण क्रमांके ६१
प्रााकिंधाकेृत प्राकेाशान
महाारााष्ट्र किंवधाानमंडळााचेे अकिंधाकिंनयेम व रााज्येपालैांनी प्राख्येाकिंपत केेलैेलैे अध्येादेेशा व केेलैेलैे
किंवकिंनयेम आकिंण किंवकिंधा व न्येाये किंवभाागाकेडून आलैेलैी किंवधाेयेकेे (इंंग्रजी अनुवादे).
In pursuance of clause (3) of article 348 of the Constitution of India, the following translation
in English of the Maharashtra Temporary Extension of Period for Submitting Validity Certificate
(for certain elections to Village Panchayats, Zilla Parishads and Panchayat Samitis) Act, 2025 (Mah.
Act No. XXX of 2025), is hereby published under the authority of the Governor.
By order and in the name of the Governor of Maharashtra,
SATISH WAGHOLE,
Secretary (Legislation) to Government,
Law and Judiciary Department.
MAHARASHTRA ACT No. XXX OF 2025.
(First published, after having received the assent of the Governor in the
“Maharashtra Government Gazette”, on the 10th July 2025.)
An Act to provide for extension of a period for submitting validity certificate
by persons elected on reserved seats of member, Sarpanch, Councillor,
President and member and Chairman in certain general or bye- elections
to Village Panchayats, Zilla Parishads and Panchayat Samitis and for the
matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.
WHEREAS it was expedient to provide for extension of a period for
submitting Validity Certificate by persons elected on reserved seats of member,
Sarpanch, Councillor, President and member and Chairman in certain general
or bye-elections to Village Panchayats, Zilla Parishads and Panchayat Samitis
and for the matters connected therewith or incidental thereto ;
(१)
भााग आठ—६१–१2 महाारााष्ट्र शाासन रााजपत्र असाधााराण भााग आठ, जुलैै १०, २०२५/आषााढ १९, शाकेे १९४७
AND WHEREAS both Houses of the State Legislature were not in session;
AND WHEREAS the Governor of Maharashtra was satisfied that
circumstances exist which render it necessary for him to take immediate
action to make a law for the purposes hereinafter appearing ; and, therefore, Mah. Ord
promulgated the Maharashtra Temporary Extention of Period for Submitting III of 2025.
Validity Certificate (for certain elections to Village Panchayats, Zilla Parishads
and Panchayat Samitis) Ordinance, 2025 on the 30th April 2025 ;
AND WHEREAS it is expendient to replace the said Ordinance by an Act
of the State Legislature ; it is hereby enacted in the Seventy-sixth Year of the
Republic of India as follows :—
Short 1. (1) This Act may be called the Maharashtra Temporary Extension
title and of Period for Submitting Validity Certificate (for certain elections to Village
commence-
Panchayats, Zilla Parishads and Panchayat Samitis) Act, 2025.
ment.
(2) It shall be deemed to have come into force on the 30th April 2025.
Definition. 2. The words and expressions used in this Act shall have the same meanings
as respectively assigned to them in the Maharashtra Village Panchayats Act III of 1959.
and the Maharashtra Zilla Parishads and Panchayat Samitis Act, 1961. Mah. V of
1962.
Extension 3. (1) Notwithstanding anything contained in section 3 of the Maharashtra Mah. XXXV
of period for Temporary Extension of Period for Submitting Validity Certificate (for certain of 2023.
submitting
elections to Village Panchayats, Zilla Parishads and Panchayat Samitis) Act,
Validity
2023 and in sections 10-1A and 30-1A of the Maharashtra Village Panchayats Act III of 1959.
Certificate.
and sections 12A, 42 and 67 of the Maharashtra Zilla Parishads and Panchayat Mah. V of
1962.
Samitis Act, 1961, a person who has contested the general or bye-elections to
the Village Panchayats, Zilla Parishads and Panchayat Samitis which were
held on or after 1st August 2022 till the date of commencement of this Act and,—
(a) who has applied to the Scrutiny Committee for verification of his
Caste Certificate before the date of filing of the nomination papers and
who is elected on the reserved seat of a member or Sarpanch of Village
Panchayat, Councillor or President of Zilla Parishad or member or
Chairman of Panchayat Samiti, but whose application is pending before
the Scrutiny Committee on the date of commencement of this Act, shall
submit his Validity Certificate within a period of twelve months from the
date of commencement of this Act; and
(b) whose election has been terminated or deemed to have been
terminated or a person who is disqualified for being a member or Sarpanch
of Village Panchayat, Councillor or President of Zilla Parishad or member or
Chairman of Panchayat Samiti, for not submitting the Validity Certificate
within the period specified in sections mentioned above, shall be deemed
to be and shall continue to be a member or Sarpanch of Village Panchayat,
Councillor or President of Zilla Parishad or member or Chairman of
Panchayat Samiti, as the case may be, and shall not be disqualified till the
period of twelve months from the date of commencement of this Act for not
submitting the Validity Certificate :
Provided that, if such person fails to produce the Validity Certificate
within a period of twelve months from the date of commencement of this
Act, his election shall be deemed to have been terminated retrospectively
and he shall be disqualified for being a member or Sarpanch of Village
Panchayat, Councillor or President of Zilla Parishad or member or
Chairman of Panchayat Samiti.महाारााष्ट्र शाासन रााजपत्र असाधााराण भााग आठ, जुलैै १०, २०२५/आषााढ १९, शाकेे १९४७ 3
(2) The provisions of sub-section (1) shall not be applicable,—
(a) where bye-elections have been held on the seats specified in sub-
section (1) before the date of commencement of this Act; or
(b) where a member whose application of Validity Certificate has
been rejected by the Scrutiny Committee.
4. All legal proceedings pending immediately before the commencement of Abatement
this Act, before any court or authority relating to disqualification of a member of legal
proceedings.
or Sarpanch of Village Panchayat, Councillor or President of Zilla Parishad
or member or Chairman of Panchayat Samiti, for not submitting the Validity
Certificate by them in cases where extension of period for submission of Validity
Certificate is granted under this Act, shall abate.
5. (1) If any difficulty arises in giving effect to the provisions of this Act Power to
the State Government may, as occasion arises, by an order published in the remove
difficulty.
Official Gazette, do anything not inconsistent with the provisions of this Act,
which appears to it to be necessary or expedient for removing the difficulty :
Provided that, no such order shall made after the expiry of a period of one
year from the date of commencement of this Act.
(2) Every order made under this section shall be laid, as soon as may be,
after it is made, before each House of the State Legislature.
Repeal of 6. (1) The Maharashtra Temporary Extention of Period for Submitting Mah. Ord
Mah. Ord. Validity Certificate (for certain elections to Village Panchayats, Zilla Parishads III of 2025.
III of 2025 and Panchayat Samitis) Ordinance, 2025 is hereby repealed.
and saving
(2) Notwithstanding such repeal, anything done or any action taken
(including any notification or order issued) under the said Ordinance, shall
be deemed to have been done, taken or issued, as the case may be, under the
corresponding provisions of this Act.
ON BEHALF OF GOVERNMENT PRINTING, STATIONERY AND PUBLICATION, PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY DIRECTOR,
RUPENDRA DINESH MORE, PRINTED AT GOVERNMENT CENTRAL PRESS, 21-A, NETAJI SUBHASH ROAD, CHARNI ROAD,
MUMBAI 400 004 AND PUBLISHED AT DIRECTORATE OF GOVERNMENT PRINTING, STATIONERY AND PUBLICATIONS,
21-A, NETAJI SUBHASH ROAD, CHARNI ROAD, MUMBAI 400 004. EDITOR : DIRECTOR, RUPENDRA DINESH MORE.