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Time of India
11-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
HC seeks govt safety plan for panchayat polls amid monsoon, yatra rush
Dehradun: Uttarakhand high court on Friday directed the Panchayati Raj secretary and the director general of police (DGP) to submit a detailed report on safety measures and emergency response plans for the upcoming 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.
Time of India
28-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Panchayat polls rescheduled, voting on July 24 & 28
Dehradun: The Uttarakhand State Election Commission on Saturday issued a notification for the three-tier panchayat elections, stating that the election process will begin on July 2 with the filing of nominations. Voting will be held in two phases -- on July 24 and 28 -- across 12 districts, excluding Haridwar. The revised schedule follows a stay by the Uttarakhand high court on the issue of seat reservations, which had initially delayed elections set for July 10 and 15. However, on Friday, a division bench comprising Chief Justice G Narendra and Justice Alok Mehra vacated the stay order issued on June 23, noting that the repetition of reservations was minimal and consistent with article 243D of the Constitution. Following the court's order, state election commissioner Sushil Kumar issued the notification on Saturday. As per the revised schedule, nominations will be accepted from July 2 to 5, scrutiny will take place from July 7 to 9, and withdrawals can be made from July 10 to 11. Counting of votes will take place on July 31. "The elections of members of all gram panchayats, pradhans, area panchayats and district panchayats (in 12 districts except Haridwar) will be conducted," the notification stated, citing powers under article 243-K of the Constitution. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Thị trường có dấu hiệu suy thoái không? IC Markets Đăng ký Undo The election process was first challenged by Ganesh Dut Kandpal from Bageshwar, who objected to the state govt's decision to revoke the previous reservation rotation system and introduce new rules via notifications issued on June 9 and 11. Petitioners argued that some seats had remained reserved for four consecutive terms, undermining the principle of rotation and limiting electoral opportunities for others.
The Hindu
23-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Uttarakhand High Court stays panchayat polls amid reservation row
The Uttarakhand High Court on Monday (June 23, 2025) stayed the panchayat elections in the State amid reservation controversy. The notification for the polls was issued by the State Election Commission on Saturday (June 21, 2025). A Division Bench of Chief Justice G. Narendar and Justice Alok Mehra stayed the panchayat polls while hearing petitions against the reservation rotation process for the three-tier elections, which were earlier scheduled to be held in two phases on July 10 and 15. The stay will remain in force till further orders, the Bench said. The stay comes at a time when the model code of conduct was in force in urban areas in 12 districts slated to go to polls, whose results were scheduled to be announced on July 19. Chandresh Kumar, Secretary, Panchayati Raj, Uttarakhand said the process of issuing gazette notification of rules related to the reservation system in panchayat polls was in progress. He said the High Court order would be complied with. 'The copy of the gazette notification of Reservation Rules 2025 is being sent to the Government Press, Roorkee for printing, which will be issued soon and presented before the High Court so that proper judicial guidance can be obtained,' he added. The official clarified that the State government was committed to operating the Panchayati Raj system in a constitutional and legal manner, while respecting fully the instructions of the court.
New Indian Express
21-06-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Uttarakhand HC slams state over Kedarnath chopper crashes, demands concrete safety plan
DEHRADUN: The Uttarakhand High Court has taken suo motu cognisance of the recent spike in helicopter accidents during the sacred Char Dham Yatra, orally demanding the state government explain the recurring incidents and formulate a robust safety policy for chopper services. This sharp judicial intervention comes as helicopter services to the revered Kedarnath shrine remain suspended for the sixth consecutive day due to adverse weather, leading to thousands of cancelled tickets. A division bench comprising Chief Justice G. Narendar and Justice Alok Mehra, during a crucial hearing, questioned the state government over frequent helicopter crashes, seeking explanations for 'what flaws exist or who is responsible for these incidents?' Emphasising the paramount importance of pilgrim safety, the bench directed the government to establish a comprehensive and definitive policy for helicopter operations, particularly in the treacherous high-altitude regions of Char Dham.
Indian Express
19-06-2025
- Indian Express
Uttarakhand HC orders probe into death of man in Haldwani clashes – ‘eyewitness statement ignored'
The Uttarakhand High Court has ordered a special investigation team to probe the death of a man who was allegedly shot dead during the Banbhoolpura riots in Haldwani in February 2024. A Division Bench of Chief Justice G Narendar and Justice Alok Mehra has also ordered the transfer of the investigating officer, Neeraj Bhakuni, out of the district. The SIT has been asked to submit a progress report every month, and the court will monitor the probe. The petition was filed by Parvez, the victim Faheem's brother, seeking a CBI probe into his death. On June 4, after the final report was submitted by the IO, the court said that the word 'shocking' would be an understatement. 'The IO appears to have gone around recording the statements of all and sundry and comes to a conclusion that all of them have not confirmed witnessing the act and on that basis, he attempts to justify his act of ignoring the statement of the complainant, who claims to have witnessed certain persons using firearms to shoot his brother and the fact remains that the brother of the complainant died due to gunshot injuries. Despite such a statement of an eye-witness, the IO has filed a closure report, probably one and only of its kind in the country, where an eyewitness statement is ignored and a closure report is based on people who appear not to be the eyewitnesses,' the court had remarked. Following this, the DGP was asked to look into the closure report and file his statement as an affidavit. The court set up an SIT after perusing the affidavit Wednesday. The petition filed by the victim's brother had alleged that there was no progress in the investigation despite the chief judicial magistrate's court ordering a probe in May last year. Earlier, on the IO's statement that the pendrive with videos was tampered with, the court had said, 'Whether the pendrive was subjected to a forensic examination by competent authorities is not forthcoming. The IO by stating that the source of WhatsApp videos has not been disclosed appears to have abdicated his duties as an investigator'. It further said: 'By stating that the videos on the pendrive are tampered, he has assumed the role of a Judge, and by attempting to circumvent the question and the veracity of the statement of the eyewitness, based on the statements of third parties, he has assumed the role of a defence counsel. That apart, the opinion formed on the basis of the fact that the bullet has passed from left to right, and hence, could not have been fired from a small weapon, here, he assumes the role of a ballistic expert.' Aiswarya Raj is a correspondent with The Indian Express who covers South Haryana. An alumna of Asian College of Journalism and the University of Kerala, she started her career at The Indian Express as a sub-editor in the Delhi city team. In her current position, she reports from Gurgaon and covers the neighbouring districts. She likes to tell stories of people and hopes to find moorings in narrative journalism. ... Read More
