Punjab panchayats to hold first meeting by December 1; videography mandatory
Meetings will not take place in four districts—Barnala, Hoshiarpur, Gurdaspur, and Muktsar, where oath ceremony is still pending
PTC Web Desk: The newly elected panchayats in Punjab are set to convene their first meetings by December 1, with mandatory videography for all sessions. The Department of Rural Development and Panchayats has issued directives in this regard. However, meetings will not take place in four districts—Barnala, Hoshiarpur, Gurdaspur, and Muktsar. Oath ceremonies for the sarpanches and panches in these districts will be scheduled soon.
The Panchayat Department clarified that the first meeting marks the beginning of the five-year tenure for the panchayats, stressing that no delays should occur. The Additional Secretary directed officials to ensure the immediate transfer of records and property to the newly elected sarpanches without delays.
The District Development and Panchayat Officers (DDPOs) will be held accountable for any delays in handing over the charge, and disciplinary action will be initiated against them if necessary. Panchayat officials are required to submit certificates confirming the handover of charge. A prescribed format has been provided for reporting the status. Punjab has elected 13,000 new sarpanches and approximately 95,000 panches in the elections held recently.