Don’t notify panchayat poll: HC to state
Friday, 17/05/2013
http://www.tribuneindia.com/2013/20130517/punjab.htm#5
Chandigarh : In a setback of sorts to the Punjab Government, a Division Bench of the Punjab and Haryana High Court today verbally asked the state not to issue notification for the forthcoming panchayat poll. The verbal directions will remain in operation at least till May 29, when the Bench takes up the matter again.
The directions were issued today in the open court on a petition filed by the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) challenging the delimitation of wards in the state. As the case came up for resumed hearing this morning, the Bench refused to pass written orders in the matter. But, it orally issued the directions after a senior lawyer appearing for the PPCC requested the court to stay the issuance of notification of the elections.
The PPCC also placed on record an additional affidavit filed by its president Partap Singh Bajwa. He produced a copy of notification issued by Fatehgarh Sahib Deputy Commissioner. In the notification, the Deputy Commissioner had clearly mentioned the house numbers in each ward.
The development is significant as the State of Punjab, its affidavit, had earlier submitted that houses in villages did not have numbers. The affidavit read: "It cannot possibly be the case of the state that in entire Punjab, villages only in district Fatehgarh Sahib have house numbers".
Launching an attack at the government, the Congress stated the "lame excuses" offered by the state in its affidavit was an attempt to justify non-mentioning of house numbers in wardbandi notifications.
In its petition filed in public interest through president Partap Singh Bajwa, the party had earlier sought directions to the State of Punjab, and no less than 22 deputy commissioners to undertake the process afresh.
Claiming to have received "numerous complaints" in recent past on "grave illegalities, irregularities and gross violations of law in the process of wardbandi", the party added that irregularities were being committed by the respondents with malafide and insidious designs.
