Panchayat poll next month, but voters list not ready

Pradeep Sharma

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 7

As many as 6,083 gram panchayats will be without elected representatives post-July 25 for about a month.

With work on the finalisation of electoral rolls still on, the panchayat elections in the state will miss the July 25 deadline. After July 25, the district officials concerned would step in and perform routine functions till new elected representatives take over, official sources said.

In fact, today was the last day for filing appeals before the District Election Officer (Panchayats) against the decision of the District Electoral Officer regarding any deficiencies in the draft electoral rolls. The Appellate Authority would dispose the appeal by July 14, 2015 and final publication would be done on July 22, the sources added.

State Election Commissioner Rajeev Sharma said that once the lists were published, they would release the schedule for the conduct of the elections to be held in August.

Meanwhile, the commission has directed all the DC and District Electoral Officers to gear up for the polls next month. The list of Master Trainers of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) is also being procured as the election would be held through EVMs.

Besides, all ROs and AROs would be supplied copies of reservation of wards of Panchayati Raj Institutions by the authorities prior to the receipt of nomination papers so that nomination papers of reserved wards could be received.

The sensitive and hyper-sensitive polling centres are being identified and necessary steps taken in collaboration with the police to avoid any untoward incident. Meanwhile, permission for conducting videography of sensitive and hyper-sensitive polling centres during the election would be sought.

All government employees will have to perform election duty. Those found absent would invite action under Section 185 of Haryana Panchayati Raj Act, 1994, the sources added.

Meanwhile, Congress MLAs Kuldeep Sharma and Karan Dalal termed Khattar government’s decision to delay panchayat elections as a ‘mockery’ of the 73rd and 74th Amendment. “In fact, the BJP was scared of facing the electorate as none of the promises made in the election manifesto had been fulfilled,” they alleged.