Neeraj Rohmetra
NEW DELHI, Oct 13: Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Ghulam Nabi Azad, a former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, today strongly advocated for reservations to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and women in the Block Development Councils (BDCs), saying that the elections to the BDCs would be rendered meaningless if they were held without reservations.
In an interview to the Excelsior, Mr Azad strongly batted for reservations to SC and STs (including Gaddis, Gujjars and Bakerwals) and women in the BDCs and said the major population would be deprived of their due rights if the elections were held without the provision of reservations.
“The election would have no relevance if they were held in the present form. We have reservations in every elections-be it the Parliament, State Assemblies or even Urban Local Bodies (ULBs). The very purpose of the elections would be defeated if there was no reservation to SCs, STs and women in the BDC elections”, he said.
Worthwhile to mention here that the State Government has set the process of first ever election to the BDCs into motion. A notification for electing 143 chairpersons of the BDCs was issued by the Election Authority on October 10. The election is scheduled for November 7.
Mr Azad pointed out that there was provision for 33 per cent reservation to women, SCs and STs in the State ULBs. The reservations were given to these categories in the elections held to the ULBs in 2005, he recalled.
The Union Minister said he has spoken to PCC (I) chief Prof Saif-ud-Din Soz and Deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand on the issue of reservations in the BDCs and asked them to take up the issue with the Government to ensure that due reservation was given to SCs, STs and women in the Council elections.
Mr Azad said he was not averse to the Government suspending the BDC election process, carrying out an amendment in the State Constitution for providing reservations to SCs/STs and women and then holding the polls at a fresh date.
“We won’t be able to empower the Panchayats in real terms if the elections to the BDCs were held without reservations”, he added.
On implementation of 73rd and 74th amendments of the Constitution of India in Jammu and Kashmir, the former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir said: “if the State Government treats these two amendments as ‘untouchables’, it could at least adopt a method to include their provisions in the State Panchayati Raj Act”.
He said Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi was very much categorical that Jammu and Kashmir should adopt the provisions of these two amendments in the State Act.
To a question on delay in Cabinet expansion, Mr Azad said there were two vacancies of the Congress in the Council of Ministry and some portfolios of the party like R&B and Education were lying with the National Conference.
He said the vacancies in the Cabinet should be filled and portfolios of the Congress should be restored to the party.
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