1 S.B.CIVIL WRIT PETITION NO.3683/2001 Smt. Lad v. State of Rajasthan & Ors. Date of Order :: 12th July, 2007 HON'BLE MR.JUSTICE GOVIND MATHUR Mr. P.P.Choudhary, for the petitioner. Mr. S.N.Tiwari, Deputy Government Advocate. .... With a view to promote Water Shed Programs and for development of Socio Economic Programs in rural areas of State, the Government of Rajasthan under a circular dated 16.1.2001 notified “Gandhi Gram Yojna”. According to Gandhi Gram Yojna as notified under circular dated 16.1.2001 one village in every panchayat samiti was to be declared as Gandhi Gram for executing five point formula relating to Shramdaan, Parivaar Kalyan, Baalika Shiksha, Charaibandi and Unnat Pashu Palan. At first instance, a village from every gram panchayat where election of Sarpanch had been made unanimously was to be declared as “Gandhi Gram” subject to acceptance by the Gram Sabha of village concern. The Deputy Director-cum-Member Secretary, District Executive Committee, Gandhi Gram Yojna, Bhilwara by an order dated 23.3.2001 declared village Chandji-ki-Khedi as Gandhi Gram in panchayat samiti Mandalgarh. A challenge to the same is given by this 2 petition for writ on the count that no election of Sarpanch in gram panchayat Chandji-ki-Khedi was made unanimously, whereas, the Sarpanch of gram panchayat Makredi was elected unanimously, therefore, the village Makredi was having a better right to be declared as Gandhi Gram under Gandhi Gram Scheme. In reply to the writ petition the stand of the respondents is that the Chairman of the Executive Committee constituted to execute Gandhi Gram Scheme invited applications by addressing a letter dated 24.1.2001 to all 11 panchayat samitis of District Bhilwara. The applications for getting declared as Gandhi Gram were to be submitted prior to 26.1.2001. No application by gram panchayat Makredi was submitted for declaration of gram Makredi as Gandhi Gram, accordingly, the application submitted by gram panchayat Chandji-ki-Khedi to declare village Chandji- ki-Khedi as Gandhi Gram was considered and accepted. Heard counsel for the parties. I do not find any substance in the petition for writ. The petitioner never submitted application to declare village Makredi as Gandhi Gram, as such there was no question of declaring it as Gandhi Gram. It is true that the election of Sarpanch for gram panchayat Chandji-ki-Khedi was not unanimous but the condition in this regard under Gandhi Gram Scheme is 3 not mandatory. It is specifically stated in the scheme that at the first instance the villages from gram panchayats having unanimous elections of Sarpanch may be selected as Gandhi Gram. The language in the scheme in this regard is quite clear and it is only a preference. In panchayat samiti Mandalgarh only application to be declared as Gandhi Gram was received from gram panchayat Chandji-ki-Khedi, therefore, no error was committed by the executive committee by declaring the village aforesaid as Gandhi Gram. For the reasons mentioned above, the writ petition is dismissed. ( GOVIND MATHUR ),J. Kkm/ps.