Kota: The state govt is considering introducing a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Bill in the next session of the state Assembly, Urban Development and Self-Governance Minister Jhabar Singh Kharra said, Tuesday, adding that a common civil law framework for all citizens remains a key objective of the BJP govt.Speaking to reporters after visiting Shahari Seva Shivir organised by the Kota Development Authority, Kharra also said the Centre has extended the deadline for the Jal Jeevan Mission in Rajasthan and sanctioned additional funds for the programme.He alleged that irregularities during the previous Congress govt’s implementation of the mission caused significant financial and developmental losses. According to Kharra, the extension and fresh funding were approved after Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene, enabling the state to accelerate efforts to provide safe drinking water.On urban local body elections, Kharra said the state govt has completed preparatory work, including municipal boundary expansion and ward delimitation, well before the earlier March 2026 target. Referring to a recent Rajasthan High Court order on petitions challenging delimitation in around 113 urban local bodies, he said the court upheld the state’s authority to revise municipal limits and undertake ward delimitation wherever required.He said all legislative and administrative formalities have been completed and the State Election Commission should now announce the election schedule.Kharra said the State Backward Classes Commission is resolving discrepancies identified during the “triple-test” exercise required for legally sustainable OBC reservations in urban local bodies. He attributed the delay in the commission’s report to staff shortages and simultaneous census-related work.Rejecting Congress allegations that the BJP govt was deliberately delaying civic polls, Kharra termed the claims baseless. He also blamed the previous Congress govt for the financial condition of urban local bodies in the state.
