There is still confusion regarding the three-tier panchayat elections in Uttarakhand. The High Court has clarified that it has no intention to postpone the elections, but before that the government will have to correct the reservation related anomalies related to the panchayat elections. On Wednesday, the Chief Justice’s division bench heard the petitions filed regarding the reservation system in the panchayat elections. The court has directed the government to submit all the relevant documents on Thursday, and has also sought clarification of the amendments made in the panchayat-wise reservation map and rules.
The court asked to present with the facts
The court also said that the petition related to the violation of the roster system in Bageshwar district has also exposed other serious errors. The court indicated that if a serious mistake has been made in the reservation process in any area, it can affect the entire election. At the same time, the Advocate General of the state government appealed to lift the ban on the elections, citing administrative preparations and expenditure of resources, but the court asked to present with the facts.
Another opportunity for the state government
For now, the High Court’s strictness has given the state government another opportunity to satisfy the court with the necessary documents on Thursday. If the government succeeds in doing so, the process of panchayat elections can move forward – otherwise the government and bureaucracy may face legal difficulties. It is worth noting that according to Section 126 of the Panchayat Raj Act, a clear rule was to be made and notified for reservation and allocation of seats, but instead the government considered the process complete by just issuing a government order – which the court has called questionable.