Punjab now withdraws notification for holding zila parishad polls — 2nd U-turn in 5 days

The state government, through a notification on August 10 had dissolved all gram panchayats, panchayat samitis and zila parishads with immediate effect. “The Governor..is pleased to direct that the general election of the members of the (i) the Panchayat Samitis and the Zila Parishads, shall be held by the 25th November, 2023; and (ii) the Gram Panchayats, shall be held by the 31st December, 2023,” read the notification.

On August 11, the government issued a communication to suspend all the financial transactions with gram panchayats.

There are 13,241 gram panchayats, 153 block samitis and 23 zila parishads in Punjab.

On August 31, however, the government informed the Punjab and Haryana High Court that it will withdraw within two days the notification on dissolution of panchayats.

The U-turn on zila parsihad polls comes a day before the high court was to take up for hearing a plea challenging the government notification. The petitioner, Sri Muktsar Sahib Zila Parishad chairman Narinder Singh, had filed the plea stating that the elections are being called at least 11 months before the completion of the zila parishads’ 5-year term.

With the fresh notification on zila parishad elections, Financial Commissioner Tejveer Singh said the government has complied with the orders of the high court

Earlier, after telling the high court that it would withdraw notification regarding dissolution of panchayats, the government had put under suspension two officials of rural development and panchayats department. They included the principal secretary DK Tiwari and Director Gurpreet Khaira.