Local bodies dept seeks AG’s opinion if civic body polls can be held in October

CHANDIGARH: Punjab local bodies department has sought legal opinion from the state’s advocate general on whether the civic body polls can be held in October.

“As per municipal laws, September first week is the deadline to finish the polling process, so we have to make sure whether or not we can go beyond that,” local bodies minister Brahm Mohindra said.

The terms of nine municipal corporations and 117 municipal councils and notified area committees in Punjab came to an end between March 8 and April 26 this year, and as per the provisions of the Municipal Act, 1911, polls should take place within six months. As on date, government-appointed administrators are running these civic bodies.

On Saturday, after a video conference with cabinet colleagues, Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh had said the polls would be conducted in October. The idea of conducting polls in September was dropped because the state government apprehended that the covid-19 pandemic would be at its peak then. At the meeting then, the ministers had said a final call would be taken after the assessing the pandemic situation.

Cabinet ministers were divided over the poll schedule, with paddy procurement starting from October 1. “That’s also an issue because of 117 civic bodies, some are semi-rural and the residents would be busy in procurement,” said food and civil supplies minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu, who comes from Ludhiana. He added, “I think the issue can be handled, as procurement picks up steam in the second week of October, and we want the polls to be over by then.”

Mohindra added his department would complete work related to ‘wardbandi’ (delimitation of wards) by the end of the month. “The polls will have 50% reservation for women, in line with the state government’s policy,” he said.

TERMS OF 9 MCS, 117 MUNICIPAL COUNCILS, NOTIFIED AREA COMMITTEES ENDED BETWEEN MARCH 8 AND APRIL 26