Punjab government seeks details of panchayats’ 5-year term before dissolving them ahead of polls

CHANDIGARH: As the Punjab government is likely to soon hold general elections for Panchayati Raj Institutions(PRIs), the rural development and panchayats department on Monday sought details about the completion of 5-year term of all 13,241 panchayats in the state before taking a decision to dissolve them and appoint administrators.

Though the last panchayat elections in Punjab were held in January 2019, the 5-year term of the gram panchayat starts from the date of its first meeting. The election for a panchayat is to be held before the expiry of its duration or before the expiry of a period of six months from the date of its dissolution, as per the Panchayati Raj Act, 1994.

In a communication issued to all the district development and panchayat officers(DDPOs) on Monday, the rural development and panchayats department has sought the details about the end of term of each panchayat by January 16 positively after thorough verification of records. Before these general elections, gram panchayats have to be dissolved under Section 29-A of the Punjab Panchayat Raj Act, 1994 and the state government proposes to appoint various officers, including panchayat officers, as administrators to run the affairs of the gram panchayats.

Earlier Blunder

Punjab has a total of 13,241 gram panchayats, 153 panchayat samities and 22 zila parishads. Punjab government had on August 10 last year dissolved all 13,241 village panchayats in the state with immediate effect before the expiry of their 5-year term so as to pave the way for the panchayat elections to be held in December last year. After the notification was challenged before the Punjab and Haryana high court, the state government had to withdraw the notification. Later, in September, the state government also withdrew the August 10 notification to hold the elections for the panchayat samities as well as zila parishads as it was also challenged before the high court.

Punjab government on August 31 last year had also suspended financial commissioner rural development and panchayats department Dhirendra Kumar Tiwari and director of the department Gurpreet Singh Khaira for technically wrong notification.

Punjab election commission had in December last year again issued the schedule for preparation of electoral rolls for the general elections of gram panchayats. As per the schedule, voters across Punjab were to give their claims and objections regarding their votes, if any, from December 21 to 29 last year before the concerned electoral registration officer in the respective district. Final publication of the electoral rolls to be used for the general gram panchayat elections were to be published on January 7, 2024.

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