‘Impartial’ unanimously elected panchayats can save rural Punjab: Justice Ranjit Singh

Chandigarh, July 5

Justice Ranjit Singh, former Judge of Punjab and Haryana High Court has emphasised that the unanimously elected “impartial” panchayats can pave the way for effective governance and save rural Punjab from collapse.

Upon joining the “Lok Ekta Mission” a campaign launched by Lok-Raj Punjab, Kirti Kisan Forum, Bhagat Puran Singh Ji Pingalwara Society, Culture and Heritage Conservation Initiative, Uttam-Kheti Kirsan Union, ex-servicemen and youth forums, Justice Ranjit Singh was addressing a press conference here today. He stressed that the unanimously elected village panchayats would restore the harmony in villages suffering from various ills such as factionalism, violent rivalries, unwanted litigation and destructive competition. These would help in speeding up the rural development and modernisation of the villages.

He revealed that as per 2024 data, 5.1 crore court cases are pending, including 1,80,000 pending for more than 30 years in district and high courts. Of these, 87 per cent i.e. 4.5 crores cases are pending in district courts.

About 66% of the cases in various courts and 25% in the Supreme Court, relate only to land and property disputes which can be easily resolved by panchayats, he said. He maintained that unanimously-elected panchayats will help the judiciary to give speedy justice, remarkably improve law and order, besides helping in boosting the rural economy through cooperative and organic farming, processing and marketing.