UP panchayat polls likely next yr; proposal for administrators’ appointment sent to govt

Lucknow: Panchayat elections in Uttar Pradesh are now likely to be held in 2027 as the panchayati raj department has sent a proposal to chief minister Yogi Adityanath seeking appointment of administrators in villages after the expiry of the term of existing pradhans on May 26.According to sources, the proposal has sought the appointment of administrators or formation of administrative committees to manage panchayats after the expiry of the term of 57,695 gram pradhans across the state. The proposal is under govt’s consideration and a decision on it would be taken soon, sources said.The department has clarified that there is no provision for the extension of the tenure of gram pradhans.Administrators will be appointed by the govt, and gram panchayat assistants can be appointed as administrators who will manage all panchayat work until elections are conducted.According to sources, the state govt or district administration can form an administrative committee or appoint an administrator under Section 12(3A) of the Panchayati Raj Act, 1947.In such committees, the gram pradhan or a govt‑appointed chairperson leads the committee, with ward members and the gram panchayat assistant as members.

The final publication of the panchayat voter list has not been completed yet. The final list will be released on June 10. According to sources, the panchayat elections are likely to be held next year, probably after the UP Assembly polls.Moreovre, the cabinet has approved the proposal to set up an OBC Commission to determine reservation for OBCs in panchayat elections. The commission will submit its report in six months after which a decision on reservation would be taken. The process may take up to six months.