Excelsior Correspondent
RAMNAGAR, July 30: Asserting that no amount of logic or arguments could justify the proposed amendments in the Panchayati Raj Act, Harsh Dev Singh, chairman, JKNPP and former Minister, today urged upon the State Government to withdraw the same once for all.
He said that the BJP-PDP Government rather than proceeding further to respond to the queries raised by the Governor for justifying its amendment proposal in the PR Act, should honour the general public sentiment and withdraw the said amendments in view of wide spread public clamour against the same. He was addressing various public meetings in villages Kakrai, Balpur, Tanani, Bilaspur of Ramnagar constituency.
While addressing the gatherings, Harsh Dev Singh made a fervent appeal to the Governor to take into consideration the public resentment against the proposed amendments and to refuse his assent to the bill under sec 78 of the constitution of J&K in case the State Government persists with its decision on the issue.
Pointing towards the widespread condemnations and all round opposition to the proposed amendments to the bill he said that authoritarianism had no place in the democratic system. He said that the proposed changes in the Panchayati Raj Act having been disapproved by Panchayats besides various social and political organizations, there was no rationale or logic to proceed with the said amendment bill which needed to be rejected by the Governor.
He further regretted that Panchayats had been facing acute financial crisis and the neglect of the Government to constitute a separate Finance Commission as envisaged under law had only made the situation worse. He demanded immediate constitution of the aforesaid commission for according financial autonomy to the Panchayats and also sought the implementation of 3-tier Panchayat Raj system with elected Panchayats, elected Block councils and elected District Planning and Development Board with due representation to women, SC and ST’s.
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