KN Nehru withdraws plea on grama sabhas

CHENNAI: DMK MLA and Minister for Municipal Administration K N Nehru withdrew writ petitions filed last year at the Madras High Court seeking a direction to hold grama sabhas. The issue pertains to Nehru challenging cancellation of grama sabha meetings by the state, which was scheduled to be held on October 2 last year.

The petitioner said that the former AIADMK government was interfering with the conduct of affairs in the Grama Sabha is unconstitutional, malafide and politically motivated and the actions are in violation of constitutional mandate and the provisions of Tamil Nadu Panchayats Act, 1994.

The Director of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department issued guidelines to be followed to conduct Grama Sabha meetings in all village panchayats, due to the Covid-19 situation. It is submitted that all the collectors were directed to strictly follow the guidelines and further directed all the collectors to send the report of the Grama Sabha resolutions, the petitioner alleged.

On Tuesday when the plea came for hearing before Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy it was informed by the petitioner counsel that he is withdrawing the plea. The bench recording the submissions closed the plea.