Odisha HC lifts stay on holding of polls in four panchayats

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Cuttack, Jan 25:

The Orissa High Court today lifted its interim stay on holding of panchayat samiti polls in four panchayat samitis.

The High Court in its order gave the green signal for holding of panchayat samiti elections in Rengali, Kolabira, Parjang and Bhawanipatna panchayat samitis of Sambalpur, Jharsuguda, Dhenkanal and Kalahandi districts respectively by lifting the interim stay, reports said.

A division bench of the High Court comprising Chief Justice Vineet Saran and Justice Bidyut Ranjan Sarangi in its verdict vacated the interim stay and allowed the State Election Commission (SEC) to hold polls in the four panchayat samitis.

The court has fixed March 21 as the next date for hearing in the cases pertaining to reservations in these panchayat samitis, reports added.

Notably, six petitions were registered in the High Court citing that reservation of seats in the current panchayat polls was over 50 percent.

Out of these cases, the case pertaining to Dasarathpur block in Jajpur district was withdrawn by the petitioner.

On the other hand, hearing in the case pertaining to Laikera block in Jharsuguda district has been fixed for next Monday.