HC nixes plea over Barmer panchayat reorganisation

Jaipur: The Rajasthan High Court at Jodhpur Tuesday dismissed a petition challenging the reorganisation and delimitation of gram panchayats in Barmer district, upholding a state govt notification issued on Nov 20 last year.A division bench of Justice Pushpendra Singh Bhati and Justice Sandeep Shah held that changes to panchayat headquarters and reorganisation of gram panchayats did not violate the constitutional or legal rights of the petitioners.
The petition was filed by 10 residents from different villages in Barmer district, who challenged the notification under which gram panchayats were reorganised, redefined and newly created based on recommendations made by the district collector. The petitioners sought a stay on the notification, alleging the process was not carried out in accordance with rules. The division bench, citing earlier rulings of the high court's Jaipur bench in similar matters, rejected the challenge. It also noted that the state govt has informed the Supreme Court through an affidavit that panchayat elections will be completed by April 15 and observed that the election process is currently under way. In such circumstances, the bench said, interference was not appropriate. The court ruled it found no grounds to interfere with the notification and dismissed the writ petition.