1 MNM IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION CIVIL APPLICATION NO.216 OF 2008 IN CIVIL WRIT PETITION NO.4669 OF 2006 The Secretary, M/o.Defence & Ors. ...Applicants Vs. Bipin Gandhi ...Respondent Mr.Raghuwanshi, Additional Solicitor General with Mrs. N.V. Masurkar for Applicants None for Respondent CORAM: SMT.RANJANA DESAI & SHRI. J.P. DEVADHAR, JJ. DATED: 5TH FEBRUARY, 2008 P.C. 1. In this Civil Application the applicants have prayed that time to hold election of Cantonment Board, Deolali Camp, Deolali be extended up to 28 th May 2008. Our attention is drawn by learned Counsel for the applicants to the reply filed by the respondent to civil application, wherein he has stated that he does not have any objection if the period is extended. 2 2. We find that on 12 th October 2007 this Court had granted extension up to 28 th February 2008. This Court had mentioned that no further extension will be granted. We would ordinarily not have granted extended the time, in view of the order dated 12 th October 2007 passed by this Court. However from the averments made in the civil application we find that the applicants have taken necessary steps towards holding election. Earlier there were no Cantonment Electoral Rules. We have noticed that rules have now been framed. 3. We may note paragraph 12 of the civil application. It reads as under : 12. That, nevertheless, all the actions have been completed by the respondents in WP. However, the respondents wants to move the Hon'ble High Court to seek three months time from 28.02.2008 to 28.05.2008 to hold elections for all the Cantonment Boards in India including the respondents for the following reasons:- i) The Government (Respondent No.:5) intend to hold elections to all the Cantonment Boards in India together. ii) Although all efforts have been made to ensure that the statutory requirements leading to the conduct of elections are completed at the earliest in respect of all the Cantonment Boards, the fact that delimitation of wards, which is an enormous exercise, has been undertaken after a long time and the reservation of wards for Women has been undertaken for the first time by the Cantonment Boards, a large number of 3 public representations and objections have been received, not only by the Cantonment Boards but also by the Central Government. The examination and disposal of these representations is also time consuming thereby causing unavoidable delay in the completion of the above mentioned processes. iii) Thus a lot of ground has already been covered and the Government is in the final stage of notifying the date and holding the elections to all the Cantonment Boards. Once all the statutory requirements leading to the conduct of elections are fulfilled in respect of all the Cantonment Boards, elections can be held together to all these Cantonment Boards. The Government intends to hold elections to all Cantonment Boards together at the earliest. 4. In the circumstances of the case having regard to the averments made in the civil application and considering no objection of the petitioner we extend the time as prayed for in this application to 28 th May 2008. We hope and trust that the applicants will not come for further extension. 5. Civil Application is disposed of. (SMT.RANJANA DESAI, J.) (SHRI. J.P. DEVADHAR J.)