‘Jharkhand likely to hold Panchayat polls in Nov-Dec’
Strap: State government to seek Centre’s opinion over extension of powers to panchayat bodies that expire on July 31 The three-tier panchayat polls in Jharkhand can be held in November or December this year, depending on Covid-19 situation in the state, said rural development minister Alamgir Alam on Wednesday
Strap: State government to seek Centre’s opinion over extension of powers to panchayat bodies that expire on July 31
The three-tier panchayat polls in Jharkhand can be held in November or December this year, depending on Covid-19 situation in the state, said rural development minister Alamgir Alam on Wednesday.
Panchayat polls in the state were due in December last year. In January this year, the government granted a six-month extension to the current panchayat bodies in the wake of delay in conducting the polls. The extension expires on July 31. “We could not conduct panchayat polls last year due to Covid-19 pandemic. We thought that the elections will be conducted during the extension period. But, the second wave of Covid-19 ruined that possibility too. It is not possible to conduct the polls by July 31,” said Alam.
Besides, the Panchayati Raj Act doesn’t mention a second extension, putting officials in a fix.
Therefore, the state government has decided to seek the Centre’s opinion over further extension, officials said on Wednesday.
The rural development minister also called a meeting on Wednesday to explore alternatives so that panchayat works do not get affected after the extension expires. Alam said they were considering two options- to give further extension to panchayat bodies or put them under administrative control.
“The Panchayati Raj Act talks only about six months’ extension in case election is not conducted. It doesn’t mention about any extension. So, we have decided to write a letter to Government of India, seeking its opinion if any amendment in the Act is possible. We will also seek advocate general’s opinion in this regard,” Alam said.
He said, “If Covid-19 situation remains under control, we will try to conduct the panchayat elections in November-December this year.”
The tenure of as many as 4,402 mukhiyas (village heads) and panchayat committees ended on January 4 this year. The state government could not conduct the panchayat polls last year in absence of state election commissioner.
In 2015, the four-phase polls for electing the 4,402 mukhiyas, 5,423 panchayat ward samitis and 545 zila parishad committees were held from November 22 to December 12.
Meanwhile, Jharkhand State Mukhiya Association (JSMA) demanded extension of power on line of Madhya Pradesh. JSMA president Vikas Kumar Mahto said, “Panchayat polls are also pending since 2019 in Madhya Pradesh, where executive committees of Mukhiyas have been set up and they have been given powers. Such practice is functional for past two years. So, extension to panchayat bodies can also be given on line of Madhya Pradesh.”
