IN THE HIGH COURT OF PUNJAB AND HARYANA AT CHANDIGARH. C.W.P. No. 17958 of 2008 DATE OF DECISION : 17.10.2008 Gurpreet Singh and others .... PETITIONERS Versus State of Punjab and others ..... RESPONDENTS CORAM :- HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE SATISH KUMAR MITTAL HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE JASWANT SINGH Present: Mr. B.S. Bali, Advocate, for the petitioners. * * * SATISH KUMAR MITTAL , J. ( Oral ) The petitioners, who are elected members of Gram Panchayat, Village Birewala Dogra, District Mansa, have filed this petition under Articles 226/227 of the Constitution of India for issuing direction to the respondents to fill up one vacant seat of Panch, reserved for the category of Scheduled Caste (Women), which remained unfilled due to rejection of the sole nomination paper of the candidate in the elections held on 26.5.2008. Learned counsel for the petitioners contends that in view of the provision of Section 22 of the Punjab Panchayati Raj Act, 1994 (hereinafter referred to as `the Act'), whenever a vacancy occurs by death, resignation, removal or otherwise of a Panch, the vacancy shall be filled up by way of election. Learned counsel submits that in this case, the CWP No. 17958 of 2008 -2- respondents are not taking any step to fill up the aforesaid one vacancy of the Panch, reserved for the category of Scheduled Caste (Women). After hearing counsel for the petitioners and going through the contents of this petition, without issuing notice of motion, as it will un- necessary delay the proceedings, we dispose of this writ petition with a direction to respondents No.3 and 6 to take steps to fill up the aforesaid one vacancy, in accordance with Section 22 of the Act, expeditiously. ( SATISH KUMAR MITTAL ) JUDGE October 17, 2008 ( JASWANT SINGH ) ndj JUDGE