Mandatory sevennday notice period for No-confidence Motion must be strictly observed or cured by adjournment.

The petitioner, Smt. Punita Maravi, is the Sarpanch of Gram Panchayat Bandha, District Bilaspur

On June 25, 2026, a notice was issued to convene a meeting for a "No Confidence Motion" against her, scheduled for June 30, 2026

The petitioner approached the High Court of Chhattisgarh seeking to quash the notice dated June 25, 2026 (Annexure P-1) and stay the proceedings.

The petitioner argued that the notice failed to provide the mandatory clear seven-day notice period required before holding such a motion

1. Whether the notice dated June 25, 2026, for a No Confidence Motion scheduled for June 30, 2026, was legally sustainable given the mandatory requirement of a 7-day notice period

The court applied the procedural requirements governing the conduct of No Confidence Motions under the relevant Panchayat Raj legislation (impliedly the Chhattisgarh Panchayat Raj Adhiniyam, 1993, and the rules framed thereunder).

The court specifically prioritized the legal principle that a clear 7-day notice period is mandatory to be provided to a Sarpanch before a meeting for a No Confidence Motion can be legally convened

The court examined the timeline between the issuance of the notice (June 25, 2026) and the scheduled date of the meeting (June 30, 2026). It found merit in the petitioner’s argument that this five-day window did not satisfy the mandatory requirement of a "clear 7 days’ notice"

Rather than quashing the proceedings entirely, the court exercised its discretionary power to rectify the procedural deficiency by extending the date of the meeting. This ensured that the democratic process of the No Confidence Motion remained intact while simultaneously upholding the statutory procedural rights of the Sarpanch

Consequently, the Court directed the Sub Divisional Officer (Revenue) to adjourn the meeting and instead convene the No Confidence Motion on July 3, 2026. The Court ordered that the time and schedule of the meeting remain the same as per the original notice, thereby providing the necessary clear notice period. The petition was disposed of with these directions