Section 13 in The Punjab Municipal Corporation Act, 1976
13. Disqualifications for councillorship.
(1)A person shall be disqualified for being chosen as, and for being, a councillor,-(a)if he is of unsound mind and stands so declared by a competent court;(b)if he is an undischarged insolvent;(c)if he is not a citizen of India, or has voluntarily acquired the citizenship of a foreign State, or is under any acknowledgement of allegiance or adherence to a foreign State;(d)if he has, in proceedings for questioning the validity or regularity of an election, been found to have been guilty of-(i)any corrupt practice, or(ii)any offence punishable under section 171-E or section 171-F of the Indian Penal Code or any offence punishable under section 32 or clause (a) of sub-section (2) of section 33 of this Act.,unless a period of five years has elapsed since the date of the finding;(e)if he has been sentenced on conviction by a criminal court to imprisonment for an offence involving moral turpitude, unless a period of five years has elapsed since the date of the conviction;(f)if he holds any office of profit under the Corporation;(g)if he holds any office of profit under the Government;(h)if he is a licensed architect, draftsman, engineer, plumber, surveyor or town planner or is a partner of a firm of which any such licensed person is also a partner;(i)if he is interested in any subsisting contract made with, or any work being done for the Corporation except as a share-holder (other than a director) in an incorporated company or as a member of a co-operative society;(j)if he is retained or employed in any professional capacity either personally or in the name of a firm of which he is a partner or with which he is engaged in a professional capacity, in connection with any cause or proceeding in which the Corporation or any of municipal authorities is interested or concerned;(k)if he, having held any office under the Government, the Corporation or any other local authority, any Government company or any corporate body owned or controlled by the Government has been dismissed from service, unless a period of four years has elapsed since his dismissal;(l)if he fails to pay any arrears of any kind due by him, otherwise than as an agent, receiver, trustee or an executor, to the Corporation within three months after a notice in this behalf has been served upon him.(2)Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-section (1)-(a)a disqualification under clause (c) of that sub-section shall not take effect until three months have elapsed since the date of such disqualification or if within these three months an appeal or petition for revision is brought in respect of the conviction or sentence, until that appeal or petition is disposed of;(b)a person shall not be deemed to have incurred any disqualification under clause (f), or clause (g) or that sub-section by reason only of his receiving-(i)any pension; or(ii)any allowance or facility for serving as the Mayor or Deputy Mayor or as a councillor; or(iii)any fee for attendance at a meeting of any committee of the Corporation;(c)a person shall not be deemed to have any interest in a contract or work such as is referred to in clause (i) of that sub-section by reason only of his having a share or interest in-(i)any lease, sale, exchange or purchase of immovable property or any agreement for the same; or(ii)any agreement for the loan of money or any security for the payment of money only; or(iii)any newspaper in which any advertisement relating to the affairs of the Corporation is inserted; or(iv)the sale to the Corporation or to any other municipal authority or any officer or other employee of the Corporation on behalf of Corporation, of any article in which he regularly trades or the purchase from the Corporation or from any such authority, officer or other employee on behalf of the Corporation, of any article of a value in either case not exceeding five thousand rupees in the aggregate in any year during the period of the contract or work; or(v)the letting out on hire to the Corporation or the hiring from the Corporation of any article of a value not exceeding two thousand rupees in the aggregate in any year during the period of the contract or work;(vi)any agreement or contract with the Corporation or any other municipal authority for taking water or any other thing which the Corporation may generally supply.(3)If a person sits or votes as a member of the Corporation when he knows that he is not qualfied or that he is disqualified for such membership, he shall be liable in respect of each day on which he so sits or votes to penalty of three hundred rupees to be recovered as an arrear of tax under this Act.
