Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has approved a significant amendment to the Uttarakhand Panchayati Raj Act, 2016 under special powers of deviation (vichalan). With this change, individuals with more than two living children born before 25 July 2019 will now be eligible to contest in the three-tier panchayat elections.
Alongside this amendment, the state government has also decided to provide reservation to Other Backward Classes (OBC) in panchayat elections. This decision follows the recommendations of a single-member dedicated commission and aims to ensure proper representation of the OBC community at the gram, kshetra, and zila panchayat levels.
Except for Haridwar, delimitation of panchayats in all other districts has already been completed. The updated structure includes 55,635 gram panchayat wards, 7,505 gram panchayats, 2,936 kshetra panchayats, and 343 zila panchayats. Due to delays in holding elections, the state government had previously appointed administrators in place of elected bodies.
Following the Chief Minister’s nod, the amendment proposal has now been sent to the Raj Bhavan for final approval. Once the Governor grants permission, an official notification for the panchayat elections will be issued, helping expedite the electoral process.
