5,228 Punjab Gram Panchayats have no income from their own resources, govt tells HC

A total of 5,228 Gram Panchayats in Punjab have no income from their own resources, the state government has informed the Punjab and Haryana High Court. This has been revealed in a compliance report filed by Uma Shanker Gupta, Director, Rural Development and Panchayats, Punjab, in a contempt case related to the non-payment of honorarium to Sarpanches and Panches.

In the affidavit, Gupta stated that the Finance Department has sought information for calculating year-wise pending honorarium payments. Based on the data compiled, the total liability of such honorarium from 2013 to 2024 amounts to Rs 76 crore.

Out of the state’s 13,236 Gram Panchayats, the affidavit noted that 8,008 have an annual income of Rs 2 lakh and 5,228 have no income of their own resources.

Field reports indicate that 4,015 Gram Panchayats have paid honorarium from their income. For the remaining 3,993 Panchayats, a DO letter dated November 7, 2025, has been issued to respective Additional Deputy Commissioner (Development), District Development and Panchayat Officers, and Block Development and Panchayat Officers, for payment of the same and information has been sought regarding the same.

The affidavit further submitted that as mentioned 5,228 Panchayats have no income from their own resources, therefore, a DO letter dated October 24, 2025, was issued by the Administrative Secretary of this Department to the Additional Chief Secretary, Finance Department for the allotment of Rs 76 crore funds to the Department before dated November 13, 2025 so that the pending honorarium can be released.

Taking the affidavit on record, Justice Pankaj disposed of the contempt petition. The issues of the non-payment of the honorarium to sarpanches and panches had been pending for long and a writ petition was filed for release the arrears.

The Panchayat Union Punjab, the petitioner, said that many Sarpanches couldn’t afford to discharge their functions, including entertaining government officers, without getting honorarium.

They said that they had to spend from their own pockets even for official functions.