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Dissolution of panchayats: Copy of order with signatures of Punjab CM, Bhullar surfaces online
On August 10, the state government notified the dissolution of panchayats and declared elections to gram panchayats, panchayat samitis and zila parishads under the Panchayati Raj Act, triggering an uproar with political parties seeking a rollback of the decision, terming the move as “unconstitutional.”
A day after the Punjab government suspended two senior IAS officers posted in the rural development and panchayats department for taking a “technically flawed” decision regarding the dissolution of panchayats, a copy of the government order surfaced on social media on Friday. The file has the signatures of chief minister Bhagwant Mann, rural development and panchayat minister Laljit Singh Bhullar and the two suspended IAS officers.
On August 10, the state government notified the dissolution of panchayats and declared elections to gram panchayats, panchayat samitis and zila parishads under the Panchayati Raj Act, triggering an uproar with political parties seeking a rollback of the decision, terming the move as “unconstitutional.”
As per serial number two of the file noting, a proposal to dissolve panchayats was mooted on August 3. The proposal states, “panchayati raj sabhawan nu bhang karan atey uprant record de sambh sambhal karan layi parbandhak niyukt karan layi adhisuchna jari karan sambandhi.” (Regarding notification to dissolve panchayati raj institutions and appointment of administrators for the upkeep of the record). The case was presented to the government for approval.
Director of the department Gurpreet Singh Khaira cleared the matter on the same day and sent it for approval of principal secretary Dhirendra Kumar Tiwari, who signed the file on August 4, seeking approval from the CM. As per the document, rural development and panchayat minister Laljit Singh Bhullar cleared the matter on August 7 and it was finally signed by the CM the next day (August 8).
The page of the file was shared by Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Bikram Singh Majithia on microblogging site X, previously known as Twitter.
The panchayat elections were to be held on December 31, and zila parishad and panchayat samiti polls were slated for November 25. Shiromani Akali Dal general secretary Gurjeet Singh Talwandi had challenged the notification. There are 13,241 panchayats, 22 zila parishads and 152 panchayat samitis in the state.
Thursday’s suspension orders issued by chief secretary Anurag Verma came hours after the Punjab government informed the Punjab and Haryana high court that it is withdrawing its notification dissolving all gram panchayats in the state, a move that is being seen as a major embarrassment for the Bhagwant Mann-led AAP regime.
The 1994-batch officer Dhirendra Kumar Tiwari, principal secretary, rural development and panchayats, and 2009-batch IAS officer Gurpreet Singh Khaira, director, rural development and panchayats department, were suspended under the provisions of the All-India Services (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 1969.
Despite repeated attempts, Bhullar was not available for comments.
Justifying government action against two IAS officers, a CMO official, who didn’t want to be named, said that the modalities, practicality and legality of any government decision have to be looked into by the officers.
“In case they falter, who are to be blamed,” he asked, adding, “The CM can only ask if they have done the groundwork, and if not, it amounts to laxity, hence the government action against the erring officers.”
