Ranchi, Jan 25 (Inditop.com) Jharkhand Chief Minister Shibu Soren Monday said the panchayat poll in the state would take place on party lines, as it had in West Bengal.
“In Jharkhand, the panchayat poll will take place on party lines. The preparations to conduct panchayat poll have started and notification would be issued by the state election commission very soon,” Soren told reporters in Bokaro.
In 2005, notification of the panchayat poll was issued and then National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government headed by Arjun Munda had decided not to hold the polls on party lines. Due to a legal battle over provisions of Panchayat (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act (PESA) 1996 the notification was cancelled in 2005. Now the Supreme Court has directed the state election commission to hold the polls immediately.
No panchayat poll has taken place in Jharkhand since 1978. As a result, Jharkhand has lost Rs.3,000-4,000 crore in development funds which are given directly to panchayats.
