The Punjab and Haryana high court will pronounce its verdict on a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) challenging the process of delimitation of wards (wardbandi) for the forthcoming panchayat elections, on June 13.
Reserving its judgment in the case on May 31, the division bench comprising then acting chief justice Jasbir Singh and justice Rakesh Kumar Jain had restrained the Punjab government from issuing the notification for the panchayat polls' schedule till the outcome of the case.
The PIL, filed through PPCC president Partap Singh Bajwa, had sought directions to the state government to undertake the complete process of wardbandi afresh in all village panchayats strictly in accordance with the Punjab Panchayati Raj Act, 1994 (amended in 2012).
The PPCC had also accused rural development and panchayats minister Surjit Singh Rakhra of interfering in the process of wardbandi through halqa incharges and MLAs for political gains.
It had been alleged that the wardbandi lists did not reveal anything regarding the composition of wards, that is, house numbers, site plans, adjoining groups of houses, and contiguity pattern, which could enable a voter/citizen to file objections or suggestions to it.
The petitioner had made a plea to quash all proceedings regarding preparation/revision of voter lists on the basis of "illegally held" wardbandi, seeking a stay on the holding of panchayat elections on the basis of the "illegal" wardbandi.
The petitioner had made a plea to quash all proceedings regarding preparation/revision of voter lists on the basis of "illegally held" wardbandi, seeking a stay on the holding of panchayat elections on the basis of the "illegal" wardbandi.