Panchayat polls meaningless without 73rd amendment: TTDF

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Oct 14: Tehsil Thathri Development Front (TTDF) has urged upon the Lt. Governor of J&K, Manoj Sinha to conduct Panchayat elections on non-party basis and after implementation of 73rd amendment of Indian Constitution in J&K.
In a handout Kuldeep Kumar Rao, Front president demanded that J&K Panchayati Raj Act should be amended in such a manner that any person, having name in any Panchayat Halqa of a Block, may file nomination for BDC of that Block.
He claimed that the rider in the latest amended J&K Panchayati Raj Act that only a Panch or Sarpanch can be nominated as chairperson of the BDC is therefore like slaughtering the democracy at grass root and ultimately making it a game for political parties ignoring the prospects of educated un-employed and competent youths.
Rao claimed that under such circumstances an attempt has been made to keep the talented, experienced, qualified and honest persons out of the game denying democratic rights to bonafide & genuine candidates. “And it will certainly be cruel joke with democracy & democratic traditions even in President Rule,” he maintained.
He further said that successive Governments in J&K have destroyed the basic concept of Panchayati Raj in J&K and made it a toothless tiger by making so many amendments by misusing Article 370 and this should not be repeated.
Rao appealed to the people of J&K UT to not get misled by the traditional political parties they are not saviors of democratic institutions but are real killers of these institutions.