With panchayat elections in the state expected to begin within the next two months, the State Election Commission has started early preparations to ensure smooth conduct of the polls. As part of this process, the commission has initiated the appointment of Returning Officers (ROs) and Assistant Returning Officers (AROs) across all Panchayat Samitis.
Officials said that the election schedule may be announced by the end of February or in the first week of March. Alongside officer appointments, directions have also been issued to update voter lists in all rural local bodies. Since elections will be held simultaneously in several Panchayat Samitis, the commission has laid down clear guidelines for administrative arrangements.
Tehsildars Allowed as Returning Officers
The commission has decided that Tehsildars can be appointed as Returning Officers in Panchayat Samitis if IAS or RAS officers are not available. However, such appointments will require prior approval from the Election Commission.
At the same time, the commission has made it clear that trainee IAS and RAS officers, who are still undergoing training, must not be appointed as ROs or AROs. This step has been taken to ensure that only experienced officers handle the election process.
For the post of Assistant Returning Officer, both Tehsildars and Naib Tehsildars can be appointed. The commission has instructed district administrations to complete these appointments well in advance to avoid last-minute issues during elections.
Over 14,000 Sarpanch Posts to Be Filled
The upcoming panchayat elections will be held in March and will cover all three tiers of rural local governance in the state. Elections will be conducted for Zila Parishads, Panchayat Samitis, and Gram Panchayats.
According to official estimates, voters will elect 41 Zila Pramukhs, around 450 Panchayat Samiti Pradhans, and nearly 14,635 Sarpanchs across the state. The large scale of the elections makes early preparation essential.
The State Election Commission said that these steps are aimed at ensuring transparent, timely and orderly elections, with a strong administrative framework in place well before polling begins.
