Local bodies polls: HC defeus hearing on contempt case

Allahabad, Sep 22 (UNI) The Allahabad High Court, today difeused hearing of a contempt case filed against Uttar Pradesh chief secretary and others, for not holding the local bodies elections despite the HC order.

CS Naveen Chandra Bajpai and principal secretary, UP urban development, were present in person in the court.

Secretary urban development A K Verma had filed an affidavit and produced the election notification issued by the state government pertaining to the local bodies polls.

Justice D P Singh, while hearing the contempt case filed by Rakesh Kumar Singh said UP had not complied with the earlier order passed by the HC division bench in December, 2005.

Earlier, the bench had directed that local bodies elections be held within six months, but it was not honoured.

In compliance of the HC order, the election notification was produced, but five nagar panchayats were not included in the notification. The court expressed displeasure on this count.

The five nagar panchayats, which were not included in the notification included nagar palika Railway Settlement, Mughalsarai, nagar panchayat Renukoot, Sonbhadra, nagar panchayat, Subera, Barabanki, nagar panchayat Dasna, Ghaziabad and nagar palika parishad Bangarmau, Unnao.

State advocate general S M A Kazmi assured the court to comply with the order in true spirit and said he would file an affidavit by September 25. The court will hear the case on the same date.

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