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Justice Ranjit Singh (retired) of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, on Friday asserted the importance of unanimously elected panchayats that can save Punjab from further degradation and help revive "good governance" in the state.
Justice Singh told ANI that a unanimously elected panchayat can save time and reduce burden on the court and the administration. "Under the Panchayati Raj Act, the Panchayat is empowered to resolve minor issues. However, the Panchayati powers are not being fully utilised because, after a hard-fought election, the elected Sarpanch often faces resistance from the opposing side, which is unwilling to cooperate," he said. "We believe that if elections are held unanimously, candidates who have the consensus of everyone can be chosen. This way, minor issues can be resolved within the panchayat. For example, if a matter goes to court but is then compromised within the Panchayat, the court can dismiss it on that basis for minor offences. This approach would reduce the burden on the court and the administration," Justice Ranjit Singh added. He added that unanimous panchayats will help the judiciary deliver timely justice and will bring about significant improvements in law and order. "Unanimously elected impartial Panchayats can pave the way for good governance on one hand and also save rural Punjab from further degeneration on the other. Unanimously elected Gram Panchayats will restore harmony in villages plagued by various evils like factionalism, violent rivalry, unwanted litigation and destructive competition," he said. (ANI)
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