New Delhi: Amid filing of nomination papers for Uttar Pradesh block pramukh elections 2021, there has been reports of violence from various districts. Alleged incidents of opposition candidates being prevented from filing their nomination papers has been widely reported on Thursday (July 8).
There a total of 826 blocks in Uttar Pradesh of which elections will be held in 825 for block pramukhs (block chairpersons) on July 10. In this election people do not vote directly, but the block development council (BDC) members vote. The July 10 elections are the last of the rural polls before the 2022 UP assembly elections, and the candidates have to be nominated by July 8.
The block head i.e. Kshetra Panchayat has no special rights. In fact, it is considered to be the first step in politics. Further, after being elected the block chief can claim nomination for Assembly elections. This election is a matter of prestige and respect.
In several blocks, the chief is chosen from the same family generation after generation. The 'pramukh' has no salary and no special honorarium.
When the Kshetra Panchayat meets, every BDC member gets an honorarium of Rs 500. As a BDC member, the block head also gets an honorarium of Rs. 500 only if he attends the meeting.
The budget for this is provided from the 13th Finance Commission of the Central Government and the State Finance Fund of the State Government. This budget is not very high even if the budgets of both the schemes are combined, around Rs 50-60 lakhs are allotted in the budget for the blocks every year.
With this money, block heads carry out development work in their areas.
More than 75,500 ward members will choose block chairman during the electoral process. The nominations will be filed on July 8, and scrutiny of applications will take place on the same day. Candidates can withdraw their applications by 3 PM on July 9. Polling and counting of votes will take place on July 10.
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