The Rajasthan High Court directed the District Collector, Dungarpur to consider and finalize appropriate location for construction of the Panchayat Bhawan at Gram Panchayat Manakadev.
The Division Bench of Justice Sandeep Mehta and Justice Rajendra Prakash Soni disposed of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by one Mukesh Kumar Damor seeking to question the decision of the respondents in sanctioning construction of Panchayat Bhawan at Gram Panchayat Manakadev on the land (Pasture Category) and to further direct them to construct the Panchayat Bhawan as per land allotment order dated 25.06.2021.
A.R. Godara, representing the petitioner and Sunil Beniwal, Additional Advocate General representing the Revenue Authorities, submitted that owing to the repeated change in locations, the project of constructing the Panchayat Bhawan has been struck and thus, the villagers are being deprived of having access to the essential facilities. They submitted that the matter may be referred to the District Collector, Dungarpur being the Revenue Head of the district who may be directed to objectively analyse the entire factual scenario and take a final decision regarding location of the Panchayat Bhawan in question. They further prayed that a direction may also be issued that the construction of the Panchayat Bhawan shall be concluded at the earliest on the location to be finalized by the District Collector, Dungarpur.
In view of the submissions noted above, the High Court directed that the District Collector, Dungarpur shall summon the entire record and shall thereafter, objectively consider and finalize appropriate location for construction of the Panchayat Bhawan in question.
The decision so taken by the District Collector, Dungarpur, after objective consideration of the record and other attending facts and circumstances, shall be final and the Panchayat Bhawan shall be constructed on the location so decided. The exercise to decide the location of the Panchayat Bhawan shall be completed within a period of two months from today and thereafter, the construction shall be commenced , the Court further directed.