Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Dec 26 : Blaming the present PDP-BJP coalition of weakening the Panchayati Raj System in the State by reversing the 73rd amendment, senior leaders of the Congress party have said that the Government should ensure foolproof and conducive security environment for conduct of panchayats and local bodies elections.
In a joint statement senior Congress leaders Ravinder Sharma(chief spokesperson JKPCC), Shabir Ahmed Khan, Manjit Singh, Vikram Malhotra, Manmohan Singh, Shah Nawaz, S.S.Channi, Hilal Shah (general secretaries) said that PDP-BJP Coalition Government will go down in history as an anti-democratic alliance which has reversed the empowerment of Panchayati Raj System that to pre-1989 situation by bring an amendment in state Panchayat Raj Act.
They said that the previous Government had tried to strengthen the Panchayati Raj in the state by passing the bill in the Assembly as per the provisions of 73rd amendment. But, the PDP BJP Govt. instead of implementing it, they have further diluted even the old State Panchayti Raj Act and have imposed indirect elections in Panchayats , which has lost the faith among the people of State on the present Govt. This will give rise to horse trading only.
PCC leaders further said that Congress party has always favoured the holding of Panchayat elections in the State in order to establish democracy at the grass root level but there are genuine concerns and apprehension about the intension and moves of the present coalition to ensure conducive and foolproof security environment for such an exercise, as this Government failed to hold by-election of Anantnag parliamentary constituency.
The Congress party demands that Government should restore the amendment of Panchayat Raj Act which were amended by the present PDP- BJP Coalition Government in order to extend the benefit of 73rd amendment in the Panchayat Raj Act and ensure creating of conducive environment and foolproof security for holding free, fair & smooth elections.
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