HC seeks govt safety plan for panchayat polls amid monsoon, yatra rush
panchayat elections
, scheduled to be held in two phases on July 24 and 28. A division bench of Chief Justice G Narendar and Justice Alok Mehra was hearing a petition seeking postponement of the elections citing concerns over numerous road closures during the
monsoon
and ongoing religious pilgrimages.
The petitioner, Dr Baijnath Sharma, a resident of Haridwar, contended that the election schedule coincided with severe weather conditions, leading to road blockages and restricted movement in rural areas, which would impact election activities. Sharma also pointed to the influx of devotees for the ongoing kanwar yatra, as well as the Char Dham yatra, which is drawing thousands of visitors daily across the state, creating significant pressure on traffic and administrative resources.
"The security personnel deployed for kanwar yatra, disaster-affected zones, and Char Dham yatra are already overstretched. Police and administrative staff are engaged in disaster management, panchayat election duties, and kanwariya arrangements, resulting in shortage of security forces across other districts," the petitioner said, urging that the three-tier panchayat elections be conducted in an alternative month to July.
The high court directed the state govt to present an emergency management plan for safely conducting the elections before the next hearing scheduled on Tuesday.
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