HARBANT SINGH Vs. STATE OF PUNJAB

JUDGEMENT

(1.) UNDER what circumstances a District Development and Panchayat Officer can appoint an Administrator of a Gram Panchayat Under Section 200(2) of the Punjab Panchayati Raj Act, 1994 (hereinafter referred to as 'the Act') is the important question of law which arises in this writ petition.

(2.) SHORTLY stated, the facts are : -

(3.) A perusal of the order, Annexure P -1, shows that the Administrator has been appointed to spend the grants given to the Gram Panchayat Datewas, at the instance of respondent No.4. It has been written in the order that Shri Hardev Singh Arshi, M.L.A., had requested that "whatever grants are given to Datewas these should be spent through village Development and Panchayat Department and had also requested for appointment of Administrator so that these grants could be utilised". Thereafter, the District Development and Panchayat Officer proceeded to appoint Shri Pawan Kumar, Junior Engineer, as Administrator for spending the grants of Gram Panchayat Datewas. Whatever expenses were to be incurred by the Administrator, the same were to be borne from the panchayat fund.