Punjab: No one can contest panchayat election on party symbol now

Chandigarh, August 29

Advertisement

The Punjab Government has today decided to amend the Punjab Panchayat Rules in order to ensure that no one can contest elections for panch and sarpanch on a party’s symbol.

The decision has been taken at the meeting of the Punjab Council of Ministers, chaired by the Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, here today. Finance Minister Harpal Cheema said this would ensure that the voters in villages were not divided on political lines and the situation in villages remains peaceful during elections.

After the amendment to Section 12 of these Rules was approved by the Cabinet today, this will be tabled before the Vidhan Sabha for its final approval, during the session scheduled to begin next week. A discussion on bringing this amendment was held at the previous Cabinet meeting, but it was kept in abeyance.

Generally, the panchayat elections in the state are not contested on the party symbol. But under provisions of the Punjab Panchayat Election Rules, candidates in the fray can tell the State Election Commission that they belong to a particular party, and thus they will like to have the party symbol allotted for the electoral battle. In that case, the party symbol is allotted to the candidates. Elections to the 13,241 panchayats are expected to be announced any time now.

In another decision taken by the Cabinet, the Council of Ministers has approved the creation of additional 59 posts of PCS officer. As of now, there are 310 sanctioned posts of PCS officer. The recruitment process for the new posts will start soon, said FM Cheema, adding that the creation of new districts and new blocks has led to administrative need for more officers.

Moreover, as many as 36 posts of judicial officer have been sanctioned for Malerkotla district, so that a sessions court can be established there. It has also been decided to fill 435 vacant posts of doctor, including house surgeons and physicians.

It has also been decided to create water recharge wells on 20 acres of land in Chandu village along the Ghaggar. In case of flooding, these wells will be filled with excess water and this can be recharged in the ground.

The Council of Ministers also approved giving job on compassionate grounds to the wife of DSP Sandeep Singh, who died while on duty. It was also decided to prematurely release as many as three prisoners, who were sentenced to life imprisonment.

Some amendments as regards GST levied on extra neutral alcohol, used in the making of liquor, were also approved. The Cabinet has accorded for the tabling of CAG reports in the upcoming session of the Vidhan Sabha.