Conduct Panchayat elections early demand raised
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, September 02 2025: The Ad-hoc Committee of All Manipur Elected PRI of 2017 has urged the State to conduct pending elections of the Panchayats at the earliest.

This appeal of the committee came after the High Court of Manipur recently ordered the Government to hold the pending elections of the PRIs within 6 months.

Addressing media persons after a meeting of the committee at Manipur Dramatic Union Hall today, its convenor, P Surbala said the recent order of the High Court was a landmark decision to safeguard Panchayati Raj Institutions.

Notably, the tenure of the Members of the Panchayats elected in 2017 had expired in October 2022 .

However, since then the State has refused to hold the pending elections, undermining the values of the PRIs, she said.

The High Court order of August 29 recently, however, came as a great relief to the committee which has been repeatedly appealing to the Government to hold the elections, she added.

While directing the State to hold the pending elections within 6 months, the High Court had also set aside appointments of the Administrative Committees of the Gram Panchayats and Administrators of Zilla Parishads which were formed in 2023 in absence of elections, Surbala said.

Just as the High Court has set-aside/cancelled the administrative committees, its members should honour the order and abstain from functioning and carrying out activities related to the PRIs.

In case they are found functioning against the order of the Court, legal actions may be initiated against them, Surbala said.

The convenor continued that the State has lost a large amount of funds of the 15 Finance Commission due to prolonged delay in holding the elections of the PRIs.

While the MP election was held amid the violent conflict in the State, the then Government did not hold the elections of the Panchayats citing law and order situation, Surbala claimed.

The PRIs are institutions that have been instituted for welfare of the public, villagers.

Timely elections will ensure proper functioning of the PRIs and help deliver welfare services and schemes to the people, she said, appealing to the Governor-in-Council to take a decision and hold the pending elections at the earliest following the Court order.

In case fresh administrative committees are formed, before holding the elections, the Members elected in 2017 may be appointed as members of the committees, said Kshetri Tama, advisor of the ad-hoc committee.

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