Patna, May 27 (IANS): Amid uncertainty over the panchayat elections in Bihar due to the second wave of the pandemic, BJP MP Ram Kripal Yadav has written to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar seeking extension of the term of the existing panchayat representatives till the new ones are elected.

Pataliputra MP Yadav wrote in his letter, "The Bihar panchayat election 2021 is most likely to be postponed due to the pandemic. If elections are not held, there will be a constitutional crisis in the three-tier panchayati raj system."

He said that most of the schemes of the Central Government and the State Government which are related to the development of Panchayats, are facing an administrative crisis in their implementation. In such an unavoidable situation, the Bihar government will have to take a decision, so that the three-tier Panchayati Raj system keeps functioning effectively for the development of the rural areas.

He added, "I am attaching a letter of Ashok Singh, the state president of village heads. Ashok Singh has requested you that the powers of the existing panchayat representatives under the Panchayati Raj system, be extended till the Bihar Panchayat elections are held."

Yadav said apart from Ashok Singh several panchayat representatives have made a similar demand. There are genuine concerns of representatives. Prima facie, the demand of these representatives seems justified.

At the end of the letter, the MP requested the Chief Minister that after proper dialogue with all the stakeholders of the three-tier Panchayati Raj system, he should take a call at the earliest.

The five-year term of the heads of all the panchayats in Bihar expires on June 15 and the date of election has not been announced yet.