People's Democracy

Ranchi HC Directs Centre To Intervene

IN a major development, the Ranchi high court directed the central government to intervene and see that panchayat elections are held early in the state of Jharkhand in accordance with the mandate of the Constitution

It passed this order on November 10 while hearing the petition of contempt case filed by CPI(M) state secretariat member Rajendra Singh Munda on not holding Panchayat election by the state government despite High Court’s earlier order.

The high court also directed the state election commissioner to personally appear before the court on the next day of hearing on December 7, 2004 and submit to the requirement and direction of the court to ensure holding of early panchayat elections in Jharkhand. The high court division bench virtually rejected the petition of Jharkhand government giving an undertaking to hold panchayat election in June 2005.

The CPI(M) Jharkhand state committee in a statement issued on November 14, while welcoming the court directive, charged the BJP and its government of telling white lies to the people, deceiving them on caste lines in order to garner votes in the ensuing assembly election in the state. It said BJP is trying to create social division and tension to achieve this purpose.

“In public and through media the chief minister Arjun Munda and his other ministerial colleagues are propagating continuously that they intended to amend Jharkhand Panchayat Raj Act 2001, to dereserve the Adivasi Panchayat posts in Scheduled Areas before holding election in the state. But, the submission of Arjun Munda government before the high court gave some administrative reasons only for the delay in holding panchayat election.  Nowhere in its submission, Arjun Munda government stated its intended amendment to Panchayat Raj Act, 2001 as the reason of not holding in state. Arjun Munda government assured Jharkhand high court of holding panchyat election in Jharkhand in June 2005 without any amendement of the Act”, stated the CPI(M).

The CPI(M) Jharkhand state committee said the people of Jharkhand will see through the deception and lies of BJP to mislead Adivasis and non-Adivasis, with the intention to keep the secular votes divided. It appealed to maintain unity of all toiling and socially deprived section to give a befitting reply to BJP government’s deception in the ensuing assembly election. (INN)