Maha govt allows holding gram sabhas as COVID-19 cases go down

The gram panchayats inMaharashtra have been allowed to start holding gram sabhasagain by observing social distancing norms and other COVID-19related guidelines, Rural Development Minister Hasan Mushrifsaid on Thursday.

An official statement said that with COVID-19 casesgoing down, the government had last month given permission toresume holding the meetings.

But the move was stayed as a precautionary measureafter the emergence of a new strain of novel coronavirus, itadded.

''COVID-19 cases have gone down and normalcy is gettingrestored (in villages). Considering this, permission is beinggranted to organise gram sabhas as in the past on thecondition of observing COVID-19 related guidelines,'' thestatement quoted Mushrif as saying.

A circular in this connection was issued on Thursday,the statement said.

As per the Maharashtra Village Panchayat Act, 1959, itis mandatory to hold at least four gram sabhas in a financialyear.

However, the Centre and state government had bannedall social and political meetings in view of the pandemic.

Accordingly, organisation of gram sabhas, too, was stayedtemporarily in the state.