Government officials confirmed to ET that the notification for the conduct of local polls is likely to be issued by the UT administration by November 10 and the draft electoral rolls will be updated by November 15.
The Supreme Court had directed the Union Territory in 2018 to hold the panchayat and municipal elections. Local body polls were last held in 2006 after 38 years and the term of office of the elected municipalities, commune panchayats and village panchayats ended in 2011.
Puducherry has two municipal councils while Karaikal, Mahe and Yanam regions have one municipality each. There are 10 commune panchayats (five each in Puducherry and Karaikal) besides 98 village panchayats in all the four regions.
While the panchayat polls in J&K were delayed on account of security and boycott from political parties, the local body in Puducherry has been in suspension due to the tussle between the Centre and the UT. Officials said the delimitation exercise has dragged on for years with the UT administration blaming the Centre for not providing adequate data on the number of backward classes. The process was finally completed in 2019 following the interventions of the apex court, they added.
Asked about the delay, chief minister Narayanasamy told ET over the phone, “I would not like to comment as the matter is sub-judice.”
Officials said the Puducherry government is seeking a legal opinion to challenge the appointment of the SEC before the High Court. The UT government had alleged that the appointment of SEC is “unconstitutional” as it was done without the approval from the council of ministers.
On October 21, Bedi selected former IFS officer Thomas as SEC for a term of three years or till he attained the age of 68. “More funds will come from GoI which were not coming because they did not have elected bodies. This will bring about a shift in governance,” Bedi told ET.
MHA officials said the Centre had constituted a committee headed by the Chief Secretary of the Union Territory to select SEC after calling for applications from candidates across the country to follow a transparent process. The SEC was chosen from a list of 10 candidates who applied for the post, they added. Speaking to ET, Thomas said: “Appropriate legal procedure is being followed before we finalise the dates for polls.”
Thomas, after taking charge as SEC, has initiated steps to prepare and publish electoral rolls. He has directed the officers to take steps to notify details of the population of the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Scheduled Caste women and also women under the general category ward-wise in municipalities, commune panchayats and village panchayats before November 10, a second official told ET.