Panchayat polls: SEC to send reminder to dept for ward, reservation data

Bhubaneswar: The State Election Commission (SEC) will write to the Panchayati Raj department again asking it to submit a report on the number of wards and data on reservation of seats for the panchayat elections to be held next year.

According to sources, the SEC had asked the department to submit a detailed report in this regard by May 31. But since the department has failed to submit the report by the deadline, the commission will write again to the department, sources added.

Rabindra Sahoo, secretary of the Commission said, “As we have not received data on number of wards and seat reservation for the panchayat election next year, we will soon write a letter to the state government to submit a report on it.”

On its prat, the Panchyatraj department has sought to explain away the delay saying it is busy with the formation of 500 new panchayats before the poll.

"We have failed to submit a report in time as the department is busy with the formation of new panchayats. The department will submit a report soon," said a Panchyatraj department official.