Ranchi. After a long wait in Jharkhand, the preparations for electing ‘Gaon ki Sarkar’ are now in the final stages. If all goes well, elections can be held in the state in five phases in April-May under the three-tier Panchayati Raj system. It can be announced after the conclusion of the budget session of the Jharkhand Legislative Assembly on March 25. Chief Minister Hemant Soren and State Parliamentary Affairs and Rural Development Minister Alamgir Alam have made it clear in the assembly that the government is in favor of holding panchayat elections at the earliest. State Education Minister Jagarnath Mahato has also said that the dates of Panchayat elections can be announced after the conclusion of the budget session.
Although some parties and organizations are demanding to conduct panchayat elections only after fixing the system of OBC reservation through triple test as per the order of the Supreme Court in the state, but the government says that due to lack of elections, the state has to be held seven times per year. Eight hundred crore central assistance is being deprived of. Chief Minister Hemant Soren has said that the process of triple test for OBC reservation will be decided after the Panchayat elections.
Let us inform that the tenure of Gram Panchayats, Panchayat Samitis and Zilla Parishads in Jharkhand was completed in November-December 2020 itself. The state government has expanded the Panchayati Raj system twice due to the unforeseen circumstances arising due to the COVID-19 epidemic. To give extension to panchayats for the second time, the state government had to pass a bill in the Jharkhand Legislative Assembly during the last monsoon session. Now the situation arising out of COVID in the state is rapidly becoming normal, so the exercise of election of Panchayats at all three levels has intensified.
The State Election Commission has already made its preparations and the State Government has also been informed in this regard. The Commission will announce the election as soon as it gets the green signal at the government level.
There are a total of 4402 Gram Panchayats in Jharkhand, where besides the Mukhiya (Gram Pradhan) 54330 Gram Panchayat members, 5423 Panchayat Samiti members and 545 Zilla Parishad members are to be elected. In total, under the three-tier Panchayati Raj system, local public representatives will be elected for 64700 posts. As soon as the administrative exercise of Panchayat elections intensified, the political agitation in the villages has also intensified. The potential candidates for various posts have started public relations from now on. Panchayat elections may not be conducted on a party basis, but various political parties are preparing a list of those candidates, who can be supported and strengthened their position in the Panchayats to the Zilla Parishads.
—AnyTV News
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