Bhubaneswar, Nov 29 (PTI) Odisha's Panchayati Raj Minister Pratap Jena Monday ruled out postponement of the three-tier panchayat elections in the state, likely to be held in February next year.

Also Read | Omicron Symptoms: Patients Show Extreme Tiredness, No Major Oxygen Drop.

Jena said there is no possibility of deferring the panchayat polls by the state government due to the COVID-19 pandemic or any other reason.

Also Read | Telangana Cabinet Sanctions Rs 22.5 Crore for Farmers Killed in Protest Over 3 Farm Laws.

“The state government has already submitted its report to State Election Commission (SEC) regarding the panchayat polls. The SEC is likely to announce the dates of elections very soon,” the minister told reporters during a visit to Haldia Panchayat in Cuttack district.

The minister's statement is significant because of some media reports on the possibility of the postponement of the panchayat polls due to the prevailing pandemic situation.

Earlier this month, the SEC had published the list of reserved seats for election to Panchayati raj institutions (PRIs).

Of the total 853 Zilla Parishad member posts in the state, 64 seats have been reserved for SC candidates, 100 for ST, 84 for SC women, 118 for ST women, 40 for backward caste community (BCC), and 55 for BCC women.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)