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Defer panchayat polls in Punjab: Assembly

CHANDIGARH: The Punjab Assembly passed a unanimous resolution on Wednesday appealing to the State Election Commission to postpone the elections to village panchayats, Samitis and Zila Parishads scheduled to begin on April 7.

Moving the resolution, which was passed by raising of hands, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal cited concerns expressed by the members of the House, examinations in educational institutions and the forthcoming rabi harvest season.

Supporting the resolution, the Leader of the Opposition, Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, said it would do the government good if the opposition was consulted again while drafting the fresh election schedule.

The leader of the BJP group and Minister for Local Bodies and Urban Development, Manoranjan Kalia, quipped that the cooperation between the Treasury and Opposition benches was a continuation of the sporting spirit exhibited by both sides while playing a cricket match recently.

While an official release claimed that the Chief Secretary had forwarded the Assembly resolution to the Election Commission, the latter’s office said no communication had been received till late in the evening.

Through a previous notification, the State Election Commission had announced initiation of the process of electing nearly 80,000 representatives in nearly 12,700 village panchayats, 140 panchayat samitis and 20 Zila Parishads.

The Commission had also prohibited the State Government from making announcements in the annual Budget, a live telecast of which was not allowed either.

However, the elections to these rural bodies were under the shadow ever since the Assembly passed an amendment to the Panchayati Raj Act last week, changing the election of the Sarpanch from direct voting by the people to an indirect one by the ‘Panches’.

Even the Punjab and Haryana High Court had issued notice to the State Government for March 24 on two petitions filed by Congress-supported Sarpanches, who challenged the amendment and had also sought demarcation of wards in the village to specify the area from where each ‘Panch’ was to be elected.

The petitioners sought that the election be held as per the provisions of the 73rd Amendment to the Constitution.

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