The standing committee on rural development and panchayati raj in its report tabled in Parliament on Wednesday highlighted the delay in holding panchayat elections in case of Assam, Manipur, Puducherry, Lakshadweep, Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh and block and zila parishad elections in Maharashtra and Karnataka.The panel noted with concern that the delay in conducting panchayat elections has resulted in sizable central govt grants for village development projects and schemes being kept on hold.
In its report on demands of grants (2025-26), the panel led by Congress Lok Sabha MP Saptagiri Sankar Ulaka, highlighted that the 73rd constitutional amendment made it compulsory for all the states to hold elections for panchayats every five years. “Therefore, the timely conduct of panchayat elections in a state is a constitutional requirement to be strictly complied by all states/UTs,” the committee said.
The committee observed that panchayat elections could not be held due to various reasons in a number of states and UTs like in Puducherry where elections were due in 2011, Karnataka (2021 for Block & ZP), Maharashtra (2022 for BP & ZP), Manipur (2022), Lakshadweep (2022), Assam (2023), Jammu & Kashmir (2023) and Ladakh (2023).
The committee said that directions have been issued by the high court of the concerned states and by the Election Commission to state election commissions for conducting panchayat elections as early as possible.
The panel also said that during its study visits undertaken to UT of Lakshadweep, condition of the people was not well due to non availability of funds in the absence of duly elected local bodies.
The ministry of panchayati raj has shared with the committee that they have issued advisories to the states/UTs, where panchayat elections are delayed, to take all possible steps to hold the polls.
However, the Committee has recommended that the ministry should “take up this matter at the highest level”.
States like Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Uttarakhand (except Haridwar) became due for elections to panchayati raj institutions (PRI) last year. States where PRI polls will become due this year include Chhattisgarh, Arunachal Pradesh, Kerala, Rajasthan, Goa, Andaman & Nicobar Islands and Daman & Diu and Dadra & Nagar Haveli and gram panchayats in Karnataka.
