RURAL DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT
Bandhkam Bhavan 25, Marzban Path, Fort,
Mumbai 400 001, dated the 3rd August 2026.
MAHARASHTRA ORDINANCE No. X OF 2026.
AN ORDINANCE
further to amend the Maharashtra Village Panchayats Act and the
Maharashtra Zilla Parishads and Panchayat Samitis Act, 1961.
WHEREAS both Houses of the State Legislature are not in session;
AND WHEREAS the Governor of Maharashtra is satisfied that
circumstances exist which render it necessary for him to take immediate action
further to amend the Maharashtra Village Panchayats Act and the Maharashtra
Zilla Parishads and Panchayat Samitis Act, 1961, for the purposes hereinafter
appearing;
III of
1959.
Mah. V
of 1962.
RNI No. MAHENG /2009/35528
महाारााष्ट्रट शाासन रााजपत्र
असाधाारण भााग आठ
वर्षष १२, अंंक ४३]
सोमवार, ऑगस्ट ३, २०२६/श्राावण १२, शकेे १९४८
[पृृष्ठेे 4, किं�ंमत : रुपयेे २७.००
असाधाारण क्रमांं�क ११७
प्रााधि�कृृत प्रकााशन
महाारााष्ट्र वि�धाानमंंडळााचेे अधि�नि�य
म व रााज्यपाालांं�नी प्रख्यापि�त केेलेेलेे अध्यादेेश व केेलेेलेे
वि�नि�य
म आणि� वि�धि� व न्याय वि�भाागाकडूून आलेेली वि�धेेयकेे (इंंग्रजी अनुुवाद).
In pursuance of clause (3) of article 348 of the Constitution of India, the following translation in
English of the Maharashtra Village Panchayats and Maharashtra Zilla Parishads and Panchayats
Samitis (Amendment) Ordinance, 2026 (Mah. Ord. X of 2026), is hereby published under the authority
of the Governor.
By order and in the name of the Governor of Maharashtra,
SUPRIYA DHAWARE,
Secretary (Legislation) to Government,
Law and Judiciary Department.
(Translation in English of the Maharashtra Village Panchayats and Maharashtra Zilla Parishads
and Panchayats Samitis (Amendment) Ordinance, 2026 (Mah. Ord. X of 2026), published under the
authority of the Governor).
(१)
भाग आठ-११७–१
2
महाराष्ट्रõ शासन रा
असाधारण भाग आठ, ऑगस्ट ३, २०२६/श्रावण १२, शके १
NOW, THEREFORE, in exercise of the powers conferred by clause (1) of
article 213 of the Constitution of India, the Governor of Maharashtra is hereby
pleased to promulgate the following Ordinance, namely:-
CHAPTER I
Preliminary
1. (1) This Ordinance may be called the Maharashtra Village Panchayats
and Maharashtra Zilla Parishads and Panchayat Samitis (Amendment)
Ordinance, 2026.
(2) It shall come into force at once.
CHAPTER II
Amendments to the Village Panchayats Act
2. In section 10-1A of the Maharashtra Village Panchayats Act
(hereinafter, in this Chapter, referred to as “the Maharashtra Village Panchayats
Act”), after the second proviso, the following proviso shall be added, namely:-
“Provided also that, if such person is elected in the elections held on or
after the 9th February 2026 but on or before the date of commencement of
the Maharashtra Village Panchayats and Maharashtra Zilla Parishads and
Panchayat Samitis (Amendment) Ordinance, 2026, and he fails to produce the
Validity Certificate within a period of twelve months from the date on which
he is declared elected, his election shall be deemed to have been terminated
retrospectively and he shall be disqualified for being a member.”.
3. In section 30-1A of the Maharashtra Village Panchayats Act, after the
second proviso, the following proviso shall be added, namely:-
“Provided also that, if such person is elected in the elections held on or
after the 9th February 2026 but on or before the date of commencement of
the Maharashtra Village Panchayats and Maharashtra Zilla Parishads and
Panchayat Samitis (Amendment) Ordinance, 2026, and he fails to produce the
Validity Certificate within a period of twelve months from the date on which
he is declared elected, his election shall be deemed to have been terminated
retrospectively and he shall be disqualified for being a Sarpanch.”.
CHAPTER III
Amendments to the Maharashtra Zilla Parishads and
Panchayat Samitits Act, 1961
4. In section 12A of the Maharashtra Zilla Parishads and Panchayat
Samitis Act, 1961 (hereinafter, in this Chapter, referred to as “the Maharashtra
Zilla Parishads and Panchayats Samitis Act”), after the second proviso, the
following proviso shall be added, namely:-
“Provided also that, if such person is elected in the elections held on or
after the 9th February 2026 but on or before the date of commencement of
the Maharashtra Village Panchayats and Maharashtra Zilla Parishads and
Panchayat Samitis (Amendment) Ordinance, 2026, and he fails to produce the
Validity Certificate within a period of twelve months from the date on which
he is declared elected, his election shall be deemed to have been terminated
retrospectively and he shall be disqualified for being a Councillor.”.
5. In section 42 of the Maharashtra Zilla Parishads and Panchayats
Samitis Act, in sub-section (6A), after the second proviso, the following proviso
shall be added, namely:-
Short title and
commencement.
Amendment
of section
10-1A of III of
1959.
III of
1959.
Mah.
Ord. X
of 2026.
Amendment
of section
30-1A of III of
1959.
Mah.
Ord. X
of 2026.
Amendment
of section 12A
of Mah. V of
1962.
Mah. V
of 1962.
Mah.
Ord. X
of 2026.
Amendment
of section 42
of Mah. V of
1962.
महाराष्ट्रõ शासन रा
असाधारण भाग आठ, ऑगस्ट ३, २०२६/श्रावण १२, शके १
3
“Provided also that, if such person is elected in the elections held on or
after the 9th February 2026 but on or before the date of commencement of
the Maharashtra Village Panchayats and Maharashtra Zilla Parishads and
Panchayat Samitis (Amendment) Ordinance, 2026, and he fails to produce the
Validity Certificate within a period of twelve months from the date on which
he is declared elected, his election shall be deemed to have been terminated
retrospectively and he shall be disqualified for being a President.”.
6. In section 67 of the Maharashtra Zilla Parishads and Panchayat
Samitis Act, in sub-section (7A) after the second proviso, the following proviso
shall be added, namely:-
“Provided also that, if such person is elected in the elections held on or
after the 9th February 2026 but on or before the date of commencement of
the Maharashtra Village Panchayats and Maharashtra Zilla Parishads and
Panchayat Samitis (Amendment) Ordinance, 2026, and he fails to produce the
Validity Certificate within a period of twelve months from the date on which
he is declared elected, his election shall be deemed to have been terminated
retrospectively and he shall be disqualified for being a Chairman.”.
Mah.
Ord. X
of 2026.
Amendment
of section 67
of Mah. V of
1962.
Mah.
Ord. X
of 2026.
4
महाराष्ट्रõ शासन रा
असाधारण भाग आठ, ऑगस्ट ३, २०२६/श्रावण १२, शके १
STATEMENT
Sections 10-1A and 30-1A of the Maharashtra Village Panchayats Act
(III of 1959), and sections 12A, 42 and 67 of the Maharashtra Zilla Parishads and
Panchayat Samitis Act, 1961 (Mah. V of 1962), provides that every person
desirous of contesting election to a seat reserved for members and Sarpanchs
of Village Panchayats, Councillors and Presidents of Zilla Parishads and
Chairmen of Panchayat Samitis for persons belonging to Scheduled Castes,
Scheduled Tribes or, as the case may be, Backward Classes of Citizens, shall
submit, alongwith the nomination papers, Caste Certificate issued by the
Competent Authority and the Validity Certificate issued by the Scrutiny
Committee.
2. The candidates are however permitted, under the provisos to above
referred section to submit, alongwith the nomination papers for election to a
reserved seat, a true copy of the application preferred by him to the Scrutiny
Committee for issuance of the Validity Certificate or any other proof thereof;
and an undertaking that he shall submit, within a period of six months from
the date of his election, the Validity Certificate issued by the Scrutiny
Committee. The effect of failure to submit such Validity Certificate within
specified period of six months is termination of election of such persons with
retrospective effect and disqualification to hold the post of Member, Sarpanch,
Councillor, President or Chairman as the case may be.
3. As elections to large number of municipalities, Zilla Parishads,
Panchayat Samitis and Village Panchayats have been held simultaneously in
the months of December 2025 to February 2026, the Scrutiny Committees have
been overburdened with the task of verification of caste certificates and issuing
Validity Certificates. Due to this, the elected candidates in such elections are
facing difficulties in obtaining Validity Certificates in specified time limit.
Therefore, it is necessary to ensure that the elected member, Sarpanch,
Councillor, President and Chairman who are yet to receive the Validity
Certificates due to pendency of their applications before the Scrutiny Committee,
are not disqualified for want of submission of Validity Certificates within a
specified time limit. It is, therefore, considered expedient to provide for extension
of further period of six months for submitting Validity Certificates by such
elected members, Sarpanchs, Councillors, President and Chairman in such
elections, by suitably amending above referred sections of the Maharashtra
Village Panchayats Act and the Maharashtra Zilla Parishads and Panchayats
Samitis Act, 1961.
4. As both Houses of the State Legislature are not in session and the
Governor of Maharashtra is satisfied that circumstances exist which render it
necessary for him to take immediate action further to amend the Maharashtra
Village Panchayats Act and the Maharashtra Zilla Parishads and Panchayats
Samitis Act, 1961, for the purposes aforesaid, this Ordinance is promulgated.
Mumbai,
JISHNU DEV VARMA,
Dated the 31st July 2026.
Governor of Maharashtra.
By order and in the name of the
Governor of Maharashtra,
Dr. CHANDRAKANT PULKUNDWAR,
Secretary to Government.
ON BEHALF OF GOVERNMENT PRINTING, STATIONERY AND PUBLICATION, PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY DIRECTOR,
SMT. MANISHA KUMBHAR, 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, SMT. MANISHA KUMBHAR.