There is a constitutional compulsion for creation of new village Panchayats in  the State before March 29, according to the election schedule released by the State Election Commission here on Monday the votes would be counted on March 26.

It leaves very less time for elected representatives to convene their first meeting  considering the fact that paper ballots and not electronic voting machines (EVMs) would be used in these elections and at places recounting can also be  necessitated.

The elections in the three tier Panchayat elections in the State would be held in  two stages, the voting for first stage would be on March 21 and second stage on March 24.

The votes for both these stages would be counted on March 26. The constitutional obligation demands that the newly elected Panchayat members take oath and convene their first meeting on or before March 29.

The oath of the Pradhan and member of village panchyats is taken in presence of Village Panchayat Officer- who actually is a secretary of village Panchayat- or some other Government official of Panchayati raj system. Narendra Singh of Bantholi

village of Pauri Garhwal told this correspondent that

due to the shortage of staff one village Panchayat officer is officiating for three to four panchayats, “due to very less time in hand the task of these Panchayat officers becomes very difficult and hectic as they have to attend Panchayat meetings in three to four places”, he said.

When asked to comment on the issue the district president of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) told The Pioneer that this situation is created by the State Government as it wanted to further defer the polls but the high court put spanner in its plans.

The State Election Commissioner Subardhan when contacted by The Pioneer accepted that there is a time constraint in the election process but he said that the  entire process would be completed by march 29 and the commission is fully geared  up for the big challenge.

The elections in 7,666 village panchyats of 12 districts  (barring Haridwar) would be held in these elections and a total of 4691003 voters  would exercise their franchise.