High Court adjourns panchayat poll case subject to Rs 50,000 cost

Chandigarh, December 8

Just about two days after the Punjab and Haryana High Court directed the Punjab State Election Commissioner to remain personally present unless the schedule for gram panchayats’ elections was produced before it, the Bench has adjourned the hearing subject to payment of Rs 50,000 costs. The amount is to be deposited with the High Court lawyers’ welfare fund by the State Election Commissioner.

Taking up the matter, Justice Rajbir Sehrawat also directed State Election Commissioner Raj Kumar Chaudhary to be present again before the court on December 18 –– the next date of hearing in the case. As the contempt petition filed by Jaswinder Kaur and another petitioner came up for resumed hearing, Chaudhary was present pursuant to the previous order. Appearing before the Bench, the state counsel sought additional time to address the arguments.

The HC, on a previous date of hearing, was told that information regarding 431 vacant seats of sarpanches, 2,914 of panches, 81 of panchayat samiti members and 10 seats of zila parishad members had been sent to the State Election Commission vide letter dated March 27. The Bench was also told that general elections to panchayat samitis, zilla parishads and panches-sarpanches were held on December 30, 2018, and the terms were expiring on September 18 and December 29.