Shimla, Jan 9 (IANS) In a setback to the Himachal government, the High Court on Friday rejected its plea for more time due to the ongoing rebuilding work after recent natural calamities, and directed it to conduct elections for Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) and Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) by April 30.

Disposing a petition that challenged the government’s decision to postpone the polls for six months, a Division Bench of Justices Vivek Thakur and Romesh Verma asked the State Election Commission and the government to finalise all preparatory formalities relating to the polls by February 28.

However, the government had argued that “extensive damage to private and public property” during the recent monsoon, which saw losses exceeding Rs 10,000 crore in the state, rendered the administrative machinery unable to hold polls.

In October, the government had directed the State Election Commission to stall the process “until things improve on the ground”, citing blocked rural roads and logistical hurdles.

During hearings, the Bench noted logistic hassles owing to school Board examinations in March and the National Census in May.

The Bench issued the directive while disposing of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by advocate Mandeep Chandel challenging the proposed postponement of the elections.

The state government, citing extensive damage caused by recent natural calamities and the invocation of the Disaster Management Act, had urged the court to defer the elections.

It stated that holding elections in the present scenario would be unfeasible and requested a six-month extension. However, the court did not accept the government’s justification.

Advocate Nand Lal, appearing for the petitioner, informed the court that conducting elections during the school examination period would be impractical due to the use of school buildings as polling stations.

The court considered this while determining the extended deadline. The five-year term of the existing PRIs will end on January 31 and the tenure of 50 ULBs concludes earlier on January 18.

Earlier, Chief Minister Sukhwinder Sukhu had clarified that panchayat elections were not cancelled but postponed. He had said the government will hold them after addressing the disaster, as relief and rescue operations are being hampered by election activities.

“This time there has been more devastation than in 2023. We have not yet succeeded in connecting the roads of the panchayats. Their restoration work is ongoing. His first duty is to resettle the affected families. Providing relief funds to those whose homes were destroyed, livestock and land swept away, is a priority,” an official statement quoting the Chief Minister had said.

However, Leader of Opposition Jairam Thakur had accused the government of running away from elections due to fear of defeat.

–IANS

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