Administrators set to replace village pradhans

LUCKNOW: Administrators will replace the village pradhans whose five-year tenure is coming to an end on November 7 as fresh elections have not been held for these posts.

The administrators that may be block-level functionaries like secretaries and village development officers (VDOs) will take care of the responsibilities and functions currently vested in the state’s nearly 52,000 village pradhans. The state government may issue an order to this effect in a day or two. “The government will have to issue an order appointing administrators in place of pradhans before November 7 when the term of the present village panchayats will be expiring,” sources said.

As per the rules, the administrators so appointed can continue to function for six months only. The election of the new pradhans must be held before the six-month period ends.

The state election commission (SEC) is expected to issue the notification for the village pradhan elections here on November 7. The new pradhans are likely to be elected by mid-December. Thus administrators will work only from November 7 till the new village panchayats are elected.

On the other hand, the zila and the kshetra panchayat members who have been elected in the recent polls will remain idle for two-four months since the polls were held ahead of schedule.