Declare GO on Pappapatti panchayat as void: Plea

The HC after admitting the petition had ordered notices to the State government and State Election Commission. 

Mayan, a resident of Pappapatti in Chellampatti panchayat union in Madurai district, claimed that the reserved panchayats were decided based on Tamil Nadu Panchayat Acts - 1994 and there were many timely amendments made to the Act. 

In an amendment in 2001 it was mentioned that reserved panchayats and wards should be selected on a rotational basis and a panchayat or a ward should not be declared as a reserved ward for more than 10 years. But the Papapatti panchayat continues to be a reserved panchayat from 1996 till date, that is 20 years. 

In a government order dated September 1, 2006, the government had declared Pappapatti panchayat as a reserved local body. Immediately after the announcement, Mayan had filed a case in 2006 challenging the GO and the government in its counter affidavit claimed that it would change the order, but failed to keep its promise. 

The status of the Papapatti panchayat continued to remain the same in 2011 and in 2016 also the government has passed an order declaring the local body as reserved thus violating the Tamil Nadu Panchayat Act rules. Hence, the HC should declare the GOs void, prayed Mayan. 

The Bench directed the State Government and SEC to file counter affidavit within three weeks.