Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, July 13: Pradesh Congress Committee, senior Congress leader and MLC Ghulam Nabi Monga and All Jammu and Kashmir Panchayati Conference today welcomed the decision of Governor NN Vohra headed State Administrative Council (SAC) on direct election of Sarpanches as move in right direction and said that SAC has restored the sanctity of Panchayati Raj Act which had been eroded by previous PDP-BJP regime for its vested interests.
The Pradesh Congress Committee welcomed the decision of the Governor, nullifying and reversing the retrogate amendment to the Panchayati Raj Act made by the PDP-BJP Govt to hold indirect elections of Sarpanchs through Panchs which had weakened the Panchayati Raj Act in the State. However, the party has urged the Governor to immediately review the delimitation of wards and Panchayats conducted by PDP-BJP Government through Rural Development Department which is arbitrary, illegal, biased and non- transparent manner.
In a statement PCC chief spokesperson Ravinder Sharma lauded the decision of the Governor reserve the controversial amendment which was opposed by Congress and other opposition parties being anti-democratic and which had weakened the Panchayati Raj in the State. The Congress party had vehemently opposed the Bill inside and outside the House and held protest demonstration in front of Governor House Jammu on July 8, 2016 against the amendment, as it weakened the authority of basic principle of democracy and basic spirit of 73rd amendment of Constitution which was incorporated in State Panchayati Raj Act on March 14, 2014.
He said that Congress had succeeded in its struggle to fully empower Panchayati Raj system by implementing and incorporating to 73rd amendment in the State Panchayati Raj Act in March 2014 and provided in the State Act provisions for directly elected Panch, Sarpanch, elected Block Development Council and District Boards with 33 percent reservation to women at all tiers and SC/ST reservations as per their population but the PDP-BJP Govt. had undone the same by a retrograde amendment on the strength of majority despite strong protest from Congress and other opposition parties as well as the Panchayat bodies in the State.
He emphasized that by virtue of the amendment of 2014 in the State Panchayati Raj Act, the powers of delimitations of wards and Panchayats was given to election authority (STC) in order to maintain fairness and transparency of exercise. However, the previous Government carried out exercise of delimitations in contrary to State Panchayati Raj Act as well as norms of fairness and transparency. Party demanded that the delimitation of wards and Panchayats should be reviewed and re-visited by the election authority (STC). He said that Governor has re-stored the faith of people in Panchayati Raj System by this step.
In a statement issued here to the Press, G N Monga said the SAC decision to amend the law to facilitate direct election for the village body heads was the need of the hour and we wholeheartedly welcome it. “Previous PDP-BJP Government deliberately made the Panchayats dysfunctional in order to interfere in the developmental works at grass root level to gain political mileage,” the Congress leader said.
Monga, who was elected to the Upper House on Panchayat quota, said the Congress party is committed to strengthen the Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) at all levels and it should be implemented only through 73rd Amendment of the Constitution in the State.
“The decision to hold Panchayat elections through CEO was a wrong decision of the previous Government. Holding Panchayat polls under Panchayat Election Commission is in the Panchayati Raj Act. The previous PDP-led Government also created new Panch wards according to their own choice and will. The delimitation of Panchayats can be done by the Panchayat Election Commission only,” he added.
Welcoming the amendments effected by Jammu and Kashmir Governor NN Vohra in the State Panchayti Raj Act, All Jammu and Kashmir Panchayat Conference (AJKPC) an organization of ex-Sarpanches and Panches of the State described it a historic Step by the Governor saying that it will strengthen democracy at grass- root level.
It is pertinent to mention here that the previous State Government had weakened the Panchayati Raj Act by making certain amendments which included scrapping of direct elections of Sarpanches by the people. Since then there was resentment amongst the Panchayat Members and they had been fighting for the restoration of the act in its original form.
In a statement issued here, chairman All Jammu and Kashmir Panchayat Conference Shafiq Mir while welcoming the step taken by the Governor said that it will strengthen democracy at grass root level and will attract new people to become part of this institution.
“We hope that maximum people will now become part of this Institution particularly the young generation” said Anil Sharma, president of AJKPC.
Meanwhile, Chairman of the organization Shafiq Mir have asked all the political parties not to politicise this community institution saying that Panchayats have nothing to do with any kind of politics. “We are just a local governing Institution to look after the local developmental issues and we have nothing to do with any kind of politics”, Mir said.
Follow our WhatsApp channel