By ARUN PRATAP SINGH
Garhwal Post Bureau
Nainital, 16 Jul: The Uttarakhand High Court today dismissed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) that had been filed seeking deferment of panchayat elections scheduled across 12 districts by the State Election Commission during the ongoing monsoon and the ongoing Char Dham Yatra season. The bench disposed of the plea after the state government, the Director General of Police (DGP) and the Secretary Panchayati Raj submitted affidavits before the Court affirming the administrative readiness to conduct the polls. The Court was given assurance that the Kanwar Yatra is proceeding peacefully and that no disruption to election-related arrangements due to Kanwar Yatra is anticipated.
During the virtual hearing, Secretary, Panchayati Raj, Chandresh Kumar reiterated his earlier submission detailing the deployment of resources. According to him, 30 percent of the police force has been stationed for Kanwar Yatra duties, 10 percent for the Char Dham Yatra, and an additional 10 percent has been retained in reserve to ensure smooth electoral operations. He further clarified that the first batch of Kanwariyas from Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, and Delhi would conclude their pilgrimage prior to the first phase of polling. The remaining districts, where Kanwar movement is prominent, have been slated for voting in the second phase, which would deal with any potential overlap between the yatra and election schedules.
At the same time, in its response to the Court, the State Election Commission, claimed that it faces no logistical constraints in holding the elections and has been receiving adequate support from law enforcement agencies. It was also emphasised that contingency forces were in place to handle any exigencies arising during either the elections or the yatras. The DGP also conveyed confidence in the state’s preparedness through a detailed affidavit presented to the bench.
It may be recalled that the PIL had been filed by Baijnath, a Dehradun-based citizen, who had argued that simultaneous conduct of panchayat elections, Kanwar Yatra, and Char Dham Yatra during the monsoon season posed serious risks to public safety and administration. He contended that government departments, particularly police and SDRF teams, were stretched thin due to flood relief operations underway in various parts of the state, thereby compromising their capacity to oversee free and fair polling. It may also be reminded here that generally the courts have refrained from interfering with election schedules unless demonstrable breakdowns in law and order or procedural violations exist.
