Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], June 6 (ANI): In a significant move aimed at decentralising the Panchayati Raj system and reducing logistical burdens on elected representatives, the Himachal Pradesh government has decided that oath-taking ceremonies for newly elected Gram Panchayat Pradhans and Up-Pradhans will be held at the district level instead of in Shimla.
The decision was taken by the state government led by Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu.
Oath-taking ceremonies will be organised across all districts on June 15, with the respective Deputy Commissioners tasked with determining the venue and timing of the events.
According to a notification issued on behalf of the Governor, the Chief Minister, Cabinet Ministers and the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly have been authorised to administer the oath to the newly elected representatives in different districts. Notably, Public Works Minister Vikramaditya Singh’s name does not figure in the list of dignitaries assigned oath-taking duties, while all other ministers have been allotted districts.
As per the notification, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu will administer the oath in Kangra district.
Assembly Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania has been assigned Chamba, Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri will oversee the ceremony in Una, Health and Labour and Employment Minister Col. Dhaniram Shandil in Solan, Agriculture and Animal Husbandry Minister Chander Kumar in Kullu and Lahaul-Spiti, Industries and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Harshwardhan Chauhan in Sirmaur, Revenue and Horticulture Minister Jagat Singh Negi in Kinnaur, Education Minister Rohit Thakur in Shimla, Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister Anirudh Singh in Mandi, Technical Education Minister Rajesh Dharmani in Bilaspur, and Ayush and Sports Minister Yadvinder Goma in Hamirpur.
The government has also directed that Members of Parliament, MLAs and other dignitaries be invited to the ceremonies in accordance with established protocol.
Defending the decision, Industries and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Harshwardhan Chauhan said there is no fixed statutory provision regarding who should administer the oath to Panchayat representatives and that the matter falls within the government’s administrative jurisdiction.
He said that under the previous practice, elected Pradhans and Up-Pradhans from across the state were required to travel to Shimla for the oath-taking ceremony, resulting in additional expenditure for both the government and the representatives.
“Representatives from remote areas often had to spend two to three days travelling and faced considerable inconvenience. Keeping these practical difficulties in view, the Cabinet decided that oath-taking ceremonies should now be organised at the district level,” Chauhan said.
He added that the new arrangement would save both time and money while sparing elected representatives unnecessary hardship.
The decision is being viewed as an important step towards administrative convenience and greater decentralisation of Panchayati Raj institutions. At the same time, the absence of Public Works Minister Vikramaditya Singh’s name from the official notification has sparked discussion in political circles. (ANI)
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