VIJAYAWADA: The State government has announced monetary incentives to Gram Panchayats where elections are unanimous to enable them to develop basic amenities in villages.
The Panchayat Raj and Rural Development Department had issued a GO in this regard in March 2020. While issuing the GO, the government stated that if elections are held to panchayats, there is a possibility that political rivalry and enmity may grow among contestants, thereby hampering peace and harmony in villages, besides hindering development.
In a GO issued on Tuesday, Chief Secretary Aditya Nath Das said the GO released in March 2020 to encourage unanimous local body elections in the State did not get adequate public attention in view of the outbreak of COVID-19. Hence, it was highlighted once again.
"In the wake of notification of panchayat polls, the government felt it appropriate to reiterate the policy of the State and take the message deeper into the civil society," the Chief Secretary said.
He directed the Commissioner of Information and Public Relations to create an awareness among people about the monetary incentive to panchayats if the elections are held unanimously. He added that as the polls are being held on non-party basis to preserve peace and harmony in villages, the announcement will encourage unanimous elections, besides promoting village development.
However, the Opposition parties, particularly the TDP, is crying hoarse over the process in which the unanimous elections are held. Opposition Leader and TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu said that unanimous election should not be forced on the Opposition.
The TDP cadre should be vigilant to prevent the ruling YSRC from resorting to intimidation to get elections are held unanimously.State Election Commissioner Nimmagadda Ramesh Kumar, at a recent press meet, said an IG rank officer will be appointed to look into the unanimous local body elections in the State.
Encouragement to unanimous panchayat elections in vogue in several other states
Several States such as Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Telangana and Punjab conduct elections to Gram Panchayats on non-political basis. Some States have even come up with innovative methods to encourage unanimous elections at the panchayat level.
Mentioning such practices, the government stated that in Himachal Pradesh, the non-party based elections are held not only at the panchayat level but also at Panchayat Samithi (block) level. In Gujarat, panchayats where elections are unanimous, will get grants ranging from Rs 2 lakh to Rs 5 lakh under the Samras Scheme. Similar scheme is also being implemented in Haryana.
The erstwhile undivided Andhra Pradesh also adopted the same and in 2001, the Panchayat Raj Department announced incentives of Rs 15,000 to Rs 50,000 to panchayats where elections are unanimous, based on the village population.