32% SARPANCHES, 56% PANCHES ELECTED UNOPPOSED

PATIALA :Sarpanches from 32 per cent and panches from 56 per cent seats in Punjab have been elected unopposed before the panchayats go to the polls on December 30.

Data compiled by the state rural development and panchayat department shows that of a total of 13,276 seats of sarpanches, 4,334 have been elected unopposed. Also, of a total of 82,831 posts of panches, 46,270 have been elected unopposed.

Gurdaspur tops the list among districts with the maximum 719 sarpanches having been elected unopposed, while Hoshiarpur tops the list of panches with maximum 4,750 of them elected unopposed.

Ferozepur district has the best percentage of electing the panchayat representatives unanimously as of a total of 835 posts of sarpanches, 644 (77 per cent) have been elected unopposed and of a total 4,703 posts of sarpanchs, 3791 have been elected unopposed which is 80 per cent of the total figure.

The figure was the lowest in Fazilka as sarpanches from only 32 (7%) of a total of 434 seats and panches from 946 (31%) of a total of 2,994 seats were elected unopposed.

Jaskiran Singh, director rural development and panchayats said that the figures have been collected from each district by the department. He said that the data has been provided by the district electoral officers and it is accurate as per our record.