Prachi Pinglay

BBC News, Mumbai

Mr Devdas says he was unaware of the law A 50-year-old population control law has been invoked in the Indian city of Mumbai (Bombay) to dismiss an official from a housing society board. V Devdas was asked to step down from the Oberoi Gardens Co-operative Housing Society for having a third child. His successor as secretary said rivals in the housing society had complained about Mr Devdas after a disagreement. The 1960 law bars public office holders from having more than two children. It can only be invoked after a complaint. The law is meant to set an example to the general public, but experts say it has rarely been used to disqualify anyone. India is the second most populated country in the world after China and officials have been grappling with ways to curb population growth. 'Rivalry' Mr Devdas, a garment exporter, worked as secretary of the Oberoi Gardens Co-operative Housing Society in the city's western suburb of Kandivali for nine years. His third child, a girl, was born in 2005. Mr Devdas says he was not aware of the law when he contested - and won - the election for the third time this year. "It is a very well organised society and we have won medals for our cultural activities. But some members of the society made a request for waiving off their dues," Mr Devdas told the BBC. "It was not possible and so they complained to the registrar and invoked this section. I was not even aware of this particular law earlier. But after receiving the order from the registrar I have stepped down and a new secretary has taken charge." Government official SM Patil who passed the order said: "This order was issued under section 73 of the Maharashtra Co-operative Societies' Act. "After I received a complaint from the society members, we studied the matter and after giving a hearing to Mr Devdas we passed an order disqualifying him." The housing society now has a new secretary, Manohar Bidaye. "Everything was going smoothly in the society until some members made some requests which could never be fulfilled. So they used the provision against Mr Devdas. It is a case of rivalry," he said.



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