Panchayat polls to be held under existing act in Pb: Min

Punjab Rural Development and Panchayat minister Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa today said the upcoming Panchyati Raj Institutions (PRIs) elections in the state will be held under the existing act provisions, rules and regulations.

The proposal to prescribe matriculation as the minimum qualification and not more than two-child norm on the Haryana pattern had been dropped for the time being as there was no consensus during extensive deliberations, he said in a statement here.

He clarified that the exercise had been initiated to have broader discussion after the issue was taken up in the cabinet. It was after consulting experts and stakeholders in the panchayat polls that it had been decided to first create awareness on such vital issues.

He said the panchayat elections would be held in two phases.

Elections to the block samitis and zila parishads would be held in the first phase followed by that of panchayat panches and sarpanches. The two phases would be separated by about a month.

The minister further said the delimitation of wards was in the final stage.

He said 50 per cent seats would be reserved for women as per the legislation adopted during the last assembly session. The PRI polls are likely to be held in July.