Himachal Pradesh appoints administrators as Panchayati Raj bodies tenure ends

With the five-year term of elected representatives of Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) ending on Friday, the Himachal Pradesh Government has appointed administrators to manage gram panchayats, panchayat samitis and zila parishads across the state until fresh elections are conducted.

The elections to reconstitute the PRIs could not be held within the stipulated time after the government invoked provisions of the Disaster Management Act. In view of the delay, the state has constituted temporary committees under Section 140(3)(b) of the Himachal Pradesh Panchayati Raj Act, 1994, to exercise all powers and perform the functions of the elected bodies.

For gram panchayats, a two-member committee has been formed, comprising the Block Development Officer (BDO) as chairperson and the panchayat secretary as member secretary. In matters related to payments under the Central Finance Commission grants, the member secretary will act as the ‘maker’, while the chairperson will function as the ‘checker’.

At the panchayat samiti level, a three-member committee has been constituted. The chief executive officer of the panchayat samiti will serve as chairperson, while the Social Education and Block Planning Officer will be a member and the panchayat inspector or sub-inspector will act as the member secretary.

Similarly, for zila parishads, the chief executive officer will head the three-member committee as chairperson. The District Development Officer will serve as a member, while the District Panchayat Officer will function as the member secretary.

Meanwhile, the Himachal Pradesh High Court has directed the authorities to conduct PRI elections before April 30.

However, the tenure of gram panchayats and panchayat samitis in the Keylong subdivision of Zila Parishad Lahaul-Spiti, the Pangi subdivision, and four gram panchayats in Kullu district has not yet expired.

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