Lucknow, June 4: The Allahabad High Court‘s Lucknow bench has expressed strong discontent regarding delays in the Panchayat elections in Uttar Pradesh and the state government’s decision to extend the terms of village heads. The court emphasized that the tenure of Panchayati Raj institutions is constitutionally defined and cannot be extended under any circumstances.
During the hearing, the court directed the State Election Commission to present a clear and detailed schedule for the Panchayat elections by July 10. Additionally, the commission formed to address issues related to OBC reservations was also instructed to submit its report on time.
Senior advocate Dr. Amarendra Nath Tripathi informed that the case was brought before the court on Tuesday. At that time, the court instructed the state government’s lawyer to obtain necessary directives from the government and provide updates in the next hearing. Consequently, the matter was scheduled for another hearing on Wednesday.
In the Wednesday hearing, the government lawyer informed the court that an OBC commission was formed on May 19, with a six-month term. The government claimed that the commission would prepare its report within six months, and decisions regarding OBC reservations in the Panchayat elections would be based on this report. The government argued that the election process could only proceed after the report was submitted.
However, the High Court was not satisfied with this argument and expressed its strong displeasure. The court clearly stated that, according to constitutional provisions, the term of Gram Panchayats is five years and cannot be extended under any circumstances. The court noted that the term of the Gram Panchayats had ended on May 26, and therefore, administrative arrangements could not be sustained for an extended period without elections.
The court also remarked that it was the government’s responsibility to ensure new Panchayat elections were conducted and new bodies formed before the term expired. The court commented that if the formation of the OBC commission was necessary, it should have been done earlier to avoid disrupting the election process.
The court made a stern remark regarding the government’s attitude, stating that delays in constitutional processes are unacceptable. It emphasized that the Panchayat is the most fundamental yet crucial unit of democracy and must not be left vacant.
Following the hearing, the court issued a clear order for the State Election Commission to present the complete election schedule by July 10, and also directed the OBC commission to submit its report by the same date.
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