The Supreme Court on Monday directed the Punjab government and the State Election Commission (SEC) to announce the schedule for elections to five municipal corporations and 42 municipal councils within 15 days and to complete the entire election process within eight weeks from the notification date.

This directive has spurred the state government into action after it challenged an October 19 order by the Punjab and Haryana High Court, which required the government to notify elections for all civic bodies within 15 days without a fresh delimitation exercise.

A bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan partially modified the High Court’s order, ruling that the Punjab government’s focus on pending delimitation was unfounded, especially as there had been no significant changes in population or municipal boundaries.

“No question of delimitation…You first go and hold the elections. There are two Supreme Court judgments against you. Law mandates that you start the process (of elections) before expiry of the (five-year) term (of the civic bodies,” the bench observed after hearing submissions by Punjab Advocate General Gurminder Singh and senior Advocate Dr AM Singhvi.

The top court also questioned the state government for challenging the HC order saying “for panchayat polls you are very keen but for municipalities you want to delay on some pretext or the other”.

Punjab had argued that it needed 16 weeks to complete the delimitation process. In response, the Supreme Court modified the High Court's order, allowing Punjab an additional two weeks to announce the election schedule and complete the process within the following two months. The High Court's October 19 order had instructed the Punjab government and the State Election Commission to issue notifications for elections to the municipal corporations of Phagwara, Amritsar, Patiala, Jalandhar, and Ludhiana, along with 42 municipal councils/nagar panchayats, within 15 days. Elections for these five municipal corporations had already been delayed for two years.

Politically, the Punjab government had intended to hold municipal elections in the state after the Delhi Assembly elections. The Delhi elections took place in February 2020, yet fresh election dates have not been announced. Sources indicate that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government was planning to engage its leaders for campaigning in Delhi, where the party is in power, following the November 20 bypolls in four Punjab Assembly constituencies—Gidderbaha, Barnala, Chabbewal, and Dera Baba Nanak. Now, however, the government will need to issue the election notification by November 26 and complete the process by January 11.

Just hours after the Supreme Court denied the state government’s appeal for relief, State Local Government Minister Dr. Ravjot Singh called a meeting with MLAs and municipal commissioners, many of whom represent cities scheduled for municipal elections. Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Minister Lal Chand Kataruchak and Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr. Balbir Singh were also in attendance.

The meeting was attended by municipal commissioners from Patiala, Jalandhar, and Amritsar, along with additional deputy commissioners from Patiala, Mohali, Jalandhar, Amritsar, Pathankot, and Tarn Taran. Executive officers from various municipal councils and panchayats, including Raja Sansi, Narot Jaimal Singh, Khemkaran, Tarn Taran, Sanaur, Devigarh, Ghanaur, Ghagga, Bhadson, Gharuan, Goraya, Shahkot, Bhogpur, and Bilga, were also present.

According to sources at the meeting, Dr. Ravjot Singh urged MLAs to prioritise development projects in their constituencies, aiming to initiate them before the model code of conduct comes into effect. A government statement noted that he also directed officials to expedite the completion of ongoing development projects across the state.

At the beginning of the meeting, Minister Ravjot Singh reviewed the progress of various projects under schemes such as the Swachh Bharat Mission, AMRUT Mission, and the 15th Finance Commission. He stressed the need to uphold high-quality standards in all development works.

The minister directed that tenders be issued promptly for sewerage and water treatment plants where Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) have been completed, to ensure that work can begin as soon as possible. He also highlighted the importance of coordinating with the district administration to identify panchayat land for these projects.

If panchayat land is not available, alternative private land should be located, and rates should be finalised in accordance with government guidelines. He also emphasised that Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann’s vision is to create garbage-free cities. He stressed that there should be no garbage piles anywhere and underscored the importance of effective waste management, with a focus on door-to-door waste segregation.

The minister directed officials to ensure daily cleanliness in their areas, including the timely cleaning of sewer systems. He also stressed the need to provide clean drinking water to residents, maintain street lights, and prioritise the cleaning and beautification of ponds. He further assured that there is no shortage of funds for development projects. If any urban local bodies require additional funds for other initiatives, they should prepare a comprehensive proposal and submit it to the headquarters.