PUDUCHERRY: The Puducherry state election commission has completed the exercise of delimitation of the wards in the local bodies and has begun preparations to hold the local body polls as per the Supreme Court’s order.
The commission has issued notifications on completion of the delimitation exercise and on the appointment of district electoral officers, regional electoral officers, returning officers and assistant returning officers.
It published ward-wise draft electoral rolls of municipalities and commune panchayats on Monday and has proposed to publish the final electoral rolls on June 28.
“…the electors have been requested to approach the officials of the designated centres of the municipalities and commune panchayats concerned deputed for addition, deletion, shifting and other claims, if any.
These rolls are prepared with qualifying date of January 1, 2021, with the use of electoral rolls for the general elections to the Puducherry legislative assembly, 2021 held in April 2021,” said state election commissioner Roy P Thomas.
The commission has proposed to hold meetings with the stakeholders of the national political parties (registered and recognized) and state parties (registered and unrecognized) to elicit their views and suggestions to hold civic elections in a fair, free and smooth manner.
The commission earlier convened a meeting with the officials on Covid-19 protocols to be followed while holding the polls.
The Supreme Court in its order dated March 5 this year directed the Puducherry government and the commission to complete the delimitation exercise within two months from the date of order and hold the civic body polls within four months after completing the delimitation exercise.
Polls to the local bodies in the territory were not held for the past 10 years.
The local body polls were held last in 2006 after a gap of 38 years following an order from Madras high court.
Accordingly, 1,138 representatives (33% women and 16% dalit) were elected in five municipalities, 10 commune panchayats and 98 village panchayats in the territory in June-July 2006.
Their tenure ended in 2011.