Panchayat elections in over 7,000 villages of Uttarakhand are set to be postponed once again. The term of appointed administrators, which was scheduled to end this month, will now be extended. Officials confirmed that the tenure of administrators in gram panchayats, block (kshetra) panchayats, and district panchayats is likely to continue due to delays in legal and procedural preparations.
Except for Haridwar, the tenure of gram panchayats across the state ended on 28 November 2024, while block and district panchayats concluded on 30 November and 2 December 2024, respectively. As per rules, elections were to be held before the expiry of these terms. However, due to unavoidable circumstances cited by the government, elections could not be conducted. Administrators, first assistant development officers and later outgoing pradhans, were appointed temporarily for six months or until new panchayats were formed.
Now, as this temporary tenure nears its end, the Panchayati Raj Department is yet to implement the required amendments related to OBC reservation and the two-child policy in the Panchayati Raj Act. Officials state it would take another 10–15 days even if the process is expedited. Elections would additionally require a 25–30 day preparation window.
Due to the delay, extension of the administrators’ term is confirmed. Meanwhile, Panchayat Organisation Convenor Jagat Singh Martolia criticised the move, stating that administrative committees should have been formed instead of appointing administrators. Due to this, around ₹16 crore from the State and 15th Finance Commission funds remain unutilised in 12 districts. He demanded that elections be held at the earliest.
