SC lays down guidelines for timely elections to panchayats

New Delhi, Dec 7 (UNI) Panchayati Raj Minister Mani Shankar Aiyar today said in the Rajya Sabha that the Supreme Court has laid down general guidelines for holding timely elections to Panchayats and Municipalities.

In a written reply in the Upper House, Mr Aiyar informed that the Supreme Court in its judgement of Kishansing Tomar, versus Municipal Corporation of the city of Ahmedabad and others in the case of civil appeal 5756 of 2005 regarding Municipalities and Panchayats elections has ordered that elections to these bodies should be held within the time-frame mandated in the Constitution.

If the State Election Commission feels that it is not receiving cooperation from the State Government concerned in discharging its Constitutional obligations, it can approach the High Court in the first instance and thereafter, the Supreme Court for a writ of mandamus directing the State Government concerned to provide all necessary cooperation and assistance to the State Election Commission so that it can fulfill its Constitutional mandate, he said.

The judgement of the Supreme Court has been circulated to the Panchayati Raj Secretaries of all State Governments, he added.

On the MoUs under rural business hubs initiative, Mr Aiyar replied that Government had facilitated signing of about 50 Memoranda of Understanding between private companies and Panchayati Raj institutions.

Regarding Andhra Pradesh, the Minister said that no MoU had been signed yet between Panchayati Raj Institutions in the State and the private companies.

Mr Aiyar further informed that no MoUs had been entered into with foreign Multinational Companies in fields like fruit processing, dairying, handicrafts and handlooms.

UNI BBS PK VV1516