CHANDIGARH: Taking a U-turn, the AAP-led Punjab government on Thursday informed the Punjab and Haryana High Court that it would withdraw the notification to dissolve panchayats in the state.
The U-turn has come a fortnight after its decision was challenged in the court Punjab Advocate-General Vinod Ghai, appearing before a bench headed by Chief Justice Ravi Shanker Jha and Justice Arun Palli, submitted that the notification would be withdrawn in the next couple of days and election would be held by the year-end.
A PIL filed by Gurjeet Singh Talwandi, a Shiromani Akali Dal general Secretary, had challenged the notification. In view of the AG’s statement, the court has disposed of the PIL.
The government had received a lot of flak from Opposition parties Congress and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) for its call to dissolve panchayats.
Hours after giving an assurance in the court, the Bhagwant Mann-led government on Thursday suspended two senior IAS officers overseeing the work of the Department of Rural Development and Panchayat.
The suspension order of Dhirendra Kumar Tewari, Principal Secretary, Water Supply and Sanitation & Financial Commissioner-Rural Development and Panchayats, was issued by Chief Secretary.
Gurpreet Singh Khaira, Director Rural Development and Panchayats, is the other officer who has been suspended.
The decision to dissolve panchayats had caused embarrassment to the government after various panchayats knocked doors of the high court and the government found itself in a tight spot.