Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said his government would take legal advice on the State Election Commission’s (SEC) order that has stopped any changes in the structure, category or boundaries of panchayats and urban local bodies.
Sukhu was in Gujreheda village near Gopalpur in Kangra district on Tuesday to attend the inauguration of a new Mata Sheetla Devi temple, where spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar performed the rituals as per tradition.
The Chief Minister said holding elections in December would be difficult because of ongoing rehabilitation work and severe winter conditions. “The Disaster Act has been enforced. My primary responsibility is to deliver relief to families affected by the disaster. Once the relief reaches them, roads in the panchayats will open,” he said, adding that many regions will be snow-covered during this period. “Keeping all these factors in mind, we are working accordingly. Panchayat elections will be held and there is no doubt about it,” he assured.
He added that the government is reviewing the new panchayat boundaries and related reorganisations. “We are legally examining the new panchayat boundaries and reorganisations and further action will be taken as per the law,” Sukhu said.
It is pertinent to mention that the state government had earlier asked the SEC to delay panchayat and municipal polls, saying that the heavy monsoon damage had kept officials busy with restoration work and caused huge losses to both government and private property.
However, soon after this request, the Cabinet okayed a move to reorganise panchayats, an action that reportedly upset the SEC. The commission felt this could delay the polls further and therefore froze any boundary changes to ensure elections are held on time.
The terms of the PRIs will end on January 31, 2026, while the tenure of 50 urban local bodies will end on January 18. The terms of the four municipal corporations, Dharamsala, Palampur, Mandi and Solan, will end on April 13 next year.
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