Preparations for the three-tier Panchayat elections in the state have been under question from the beginning. First of all, the elections were not held on time. When the time passed, the government implemented reservation without issuing a notification (gazette notification) of the rules related to the reservation system. This is the reason why the High Court stayed the election process. However, another petition related to reservation is to be heard in the High Court today. According to Jagat Martolia, convener of Uttarakhand Panchayat Organization, the basic concept of the Constitution has been ignored in implementing reservation for Panchayat elections. The roster regarding reservation should have been such that its benefit reaches the last person, but instead of doing so, the old roster was abolished and a new roster was made. He said that this is the first case when the High Court stayed the elections after the notification of elections was issued. This has dealt a blow to the government’s intention to implement reservation as per its wish.
Two different arrangements have been made for reservation
CPI-ML state secretary Indresh Maikhuri says that the government first ordered administrative officers and employees to be made administrators of panchayats, but after some time it was cancelled and outgoing panchayat representatives were made administrators in panchayats. This is the first time that outgoing panchayat representatives have been made administrators. Murari Lal Khandewal, petitioner in the High Court, says that the cyclical order of reservation has been broken. At the same time, two different arrangements have been made for reservation.
There are discrepancies in the reservation implemented in panchayats. I have challenged it in the High Court. The hearing on which is to be held today. -Murari Lal Khandewal, petitioner
The process of notification (gazette notification) of the rules related to the reservation system in the three-tier panchayat elections is in motion. Which will be issued soon and presented before the court, so that proper judicial guidance can be obtained by making them aware of the situation. -Chandresh Kumar, Secretary Panchayati Raj
If this happens, reservation may have to be implemented afresh
Dehradun. Reservation was implemented in the state’s panchayats without issuing a notification (gazette notification). Experts say that even if the ban on elections is lifted, reservation may have to be implemented afresh. More than three thousand objections were registered with the district administration on the issue of reservation. It is alleged that most of these were not resolved properly.
