The Punjab and Haryana High Court recently disposed of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) by one Raj Karan, challenging the State of Haryana’s revised guidelines that allowed panchayats to undertake development works up to Rs 21 lakh without tendering.
The petitioner contended that the revised guidelines, issued on July 9, 2024, violated the due process of transparency in development works carried out by Panchayati Raj Institutions.
However, the court observed that the Haryana Panchayati Raj Finance, Budget, Accounts, Audit, Taxation and Works Rules, 1996, framed under Section 209 (1) and (2) of the Haryana Panchayati Raj Act, 1994, enabled Panchayats to execute development works up to Rs. 25 lakh without adopting the tendering process.
The High Court, comprising Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Sumeet Goel noted that the petition did not assail the statutory rules of 1996 and therefore, no interference was called for.
The petition was disposed of with liberty granted to the petitioner to challenge the provisions of the Haryana Panchayati Raj Finance, Budget, Accounts, Audit, Taxation and Works Rules, 1996, if advised to do so.
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