While nomination papers are being filed across the state by candidates of various parties and Independents for forthcoming panchayat elections on December 30.
While nomination papers are being filed across the state by candidates of various parties and Independents for forthcoming panchayat elections on December 30.
70 villages in the Shahkot assembly segment of Jalandhar district have chosen their panchayats ‘unanimously’ without going for prevalent election process. By saving election expenditure, these panchayats have also earned a grant from the government.
There are total 234 panchyats under this assembly segment, which consists of Shahkot, Malsian, Mehatpur and Lohian areas of Jalandhar district, out of which 70 panchayats (30 per ent of the total) have been chosen by the villagers unanimously.
According to government policy, if any village goes for unanimous elections then government gives a grant of Rs three lakh to such village.
A local radio channel — Avtar Radio, which is run by the ‘Ik Onkar Turst’ at village Seechewal, Padam Shri environmentalist Baba Balbir Singh Seechewal, local Congress MLA Hardev Singh Laddi Sherowalia and several renowned persons of the area have has been the main guiding forces behind these panchayats who have chosen their sarpanches and panches (panchyat members) on their own.
A daily programme is being aired on ‘Avtar radio’, which has a frequency covering nearly 25 km area around the constituency in which people are being encouraged by all these people including local MLA and Baba Seechewal to opt for unanimous elections instead entering into prevalent election process which leads unnecessary expenditure when the option of unanimous elections is available with the villagers.
“We are discouraging elections because it leads to several types of enmities among the villagers which then take ugly turn and hamper development of village,” said Baba Seechewal, adding that people end up spending several lakhs on elections while unanimous election earn a grant for the village which can be used for development purpose.
MLA Laddi said that they have been trying for formation of ‘unanimous panchayats’ in as many villages as possible and so far 70 villages have done it. He said that the number could go up to 100 villages soon. Daily five to six villages have been going for unanimous elections. In Seechewal, a well qualified youth Tajinder Singh was chosen as village sarpanch.
Tajinder Singh is an MPhil and pursuing his doctorate in music. He is also a Gatka player who had won nine gold medals at national level by performing at inter-university and inter-state level.
Panchayats which do not want to enter the election process, hold a meeting at village level and select persons for the posts of sarpanch and as panchyat members. Then selected persons file their nomination papers in the office of Returning Officer (RO) under Panchyati Raj Act, 1994 and Punjab Panchayat Election Rules, 1994. After scrutiny when RO finds that there are single contenders for each such posts then the elections of such panchyats are considered unanimous and no elections held in the villages concerned.
70 villages in the Shahkot assembly segment of Jalandhar district have chosen their panchayats ‘unanimously’ without going for prevalent election process. By saving election expenditure, these panchayats have also earned a grant from the government.
There are total 234 panchyats under this assembly segment, which consists of Shahkot, Malsian, Mehatpur and Lohian areas of Jalandhar district, out of which 70 panchayats (30 per ent of the total) have been chosen by the villagers unanimously.
According to government policy, if any village goes for unanimous elections then government gives a grant of Rs three lakh to such village.
A local radio channel — Avtar Radio, which is run by the ‘Ik Onkar Turst’ at village Seechewal, Padam Shri environmentalist Baba Balbir Singh Seechewal, local Congress MLA Hardev Singh Laddi Sherowalia and several renowned persons of the area have has been the main guiding forces behind these panchayats who have chosen their sarpanches and panches (panchyat members) on their own.
A daily programme is being aired on ‘Avtar radio’, which has a frequency covering nearly 25 km area around the constituency in which people are being encouraged by all these people including local MLA and Baba Seechewal to opt for unanimous elections instead entering into prevalent election process which leads unnecessary expenditure when the option of unanimous elections is available with the villagers.
“We are discouraging elections because it leads to several types of enmities among the villagers which then take ugly turn and hamper development of village,” said Baba Seechewal, adding that people end up spending several lakhs on elections while unanimous election earn a grant for the village which can be used for development purpose.
MLA Laddi said that they have been trying for formation of ‘unanimous panchayats’ in as many villages as possible and so far 70 villages have done it. He said that the number could go up to 100 villages soon. Daily five to six villages have been going for unanimous elections. In Seechewal, a well qualified youth Tajinder Singh was chosen as village sarpanch.
Tajinder Singh is an MPhil and pursuing his doctorate in music. He is also a Gatka player who had won nine gold medals at national level by performing at inter-university and inter-state level.
Panchayats which do not want to enter the election process, hold a meeting at village level and select persons for the posts of sarpanch and as panchyat members. Then selected persons file their nomination papers in the office of Returning Officer (RO) under Panchyati Raj Act, 1994 and Punjab Panchayat Election Rules, 1994. After scrutiny when RO finds that there are single contenders for each such posts then the elections of such panchyats are considered unanimous and no elections held in the villages concerned.