On the orders of the Election Commission, the Punjab government has initiated preparations for the Panchayat elections. The notification for the Panchayat elections could be issued by February 10. Meanwhile, the Punjab government has transferred 71 officials, including BDOs.
According to officials, the transfer of these BDOs and other officials was carried out as per the Election Commission’s directives. Essentially, their transfer was from their current workplace, i.e., their home district, to other locations.
The Election Commission has instructed the state government to assign responsibilities to any employee residing in the same place to ensure impartiality in the electoral process.
It is noteworthy that six months before the completion of the term of Panchayats in the state, the government had issued an order last year on August 10 to dissolve all gram panchayats. The government made this decision under Section 29-E of the Punjab Panchayati Raj Act, 1994, with the approval of the Governor. However, many gram panchayats, including those in Patiala, challenged this decision in the Punjab and Haryana High Court. Subsequently, the government had to withdraw the decision.
There are a total of 13,628 Panchayats in Punjab. The term of these gram panchayats, elected in January 2019, is ending on January 31, 2024. It was mandatory to conduct elections before this, as per the rules. After the High Court’s strict stance on the delay in elections, the State Election Commission has expedited the process
