IEP Chandigarh, August 31
Punjab Rural Development and Panchayats Minister S. Laljit Singh Bhullar, on Thursday, informed that the decision to dissolve panchayats, known as the foundation of the democracy, has been withdrawn due to technical flaws.
In a statement issued here, the Cabinet Minister said that when the matter to dissolve panchayats came to the notice of Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann, he ordered strict action against the officers of the panchayat department due to technical flaws in the concerned order dissolving panchayats, and the decision in this regard has been withdrawn in Punjab and Haryana High Court.
The Cabinet Minister stated that the government has initiated efforts to conduct timely elections for village panchayats in the state. The process of revising voter lists, demarcation of wards and implementing a 50 percent reservation etc. for the elections was very long, but due to the floods in the state, the operation was halted as the officers and employees were engaged in relief efforts.
The Cabinet Minister affirmed the Punjab government’s commitment to holding panchayat elections as per schedule. He said that to strengthen democracy, Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann has also announced Rs.5 lakh to each village which will unanimously elect panchayat.
In this matter, the Punjab government has suspended the principal secretary and director of the rural development and panchayat department with immediate effect for taking a technically flawed decision regarding the dissolution of panchayats.
