Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU July 5: National Conference today described amendment to the Jammu and Kashmir Panchayati Raj Act as direct assault on democratic ethos of the State, saying the people at grass-roots level were feeling deprived and disempowered.
“Instead of strengthening the mechanism of third tier of democracy and encouraging larger public participation in decision making at local levels, the PDP-BJP Coalition has ruthlessly hammered the urges and aspirations of rural population”, Provincial President National Conference Devender Singh Rana said at a high level meeting of the provincial and district functionaries of the party of the Jammu Province at Sher-e-Kashmir Bhavan here this afternoon.
He assailed the PDP-BJP combine for bulldozing saner opposition voice at numeric strength in the Legislative Assembly and said the time-tested and country-wide acclaimed J&K PRC Act has fallen victim to vested interest, as the ruling alliance believes in ‘manipulating’ the elections of Sarpanchs due to lack of support at ground zero.
“This is public acknowledgment of zero-base of the PDP and BJP in rural areas of the State. National Conference, which believes in people being the real fountain head of power, put its point of view over the negative fall-out of the amendment in both houses of the State Legislature but egoistic and anti-people Government got its way and passed the Bill”, he added.
“Now the war against anti-people measure would be fought peacefully and democratically in every village of the State”, he said, adding that National Conference will get fully galvanized to generate mass awareness on the amendment which is aimed at scuttling democracy.
Giving gist of the role played by National Conference under the stewardship of Omar Abdullah in highlighting people’s woes and seeking reversal of various crucial decisions during the just concluded Budget Session, Rana said that as a result of constructive opposition, based on logic, the Government was forced to withdraw the New Industrial Policy and the SROs with regard to implementation of taxes before the Budget was even discussed by the members.
He said the flip-flop of the insensitive alliance speaks volumes about its administrative naivety and inexperience in governance. “This negative aspect of the PDP-BJP Government has impacted every sphere of activity in the State as administration is finding itself rudderless due to lack of political direction”, he maintained.
Rana said that National Conference will mobilize public opinion at the ground level, in every mohalla and village, against erratic power, drinking water, rations and other utility services.
Addressing the party functionaries, former Minister and senior leader Ajay Kumar Sadhotra reminded of the glorious ethos of National Conference and firm belief of Sher-e-Kashmir Sheikh Mohammed Abdullah in the unity in diversity of the State.
Former Minister and Sr State Vice President Surjeet Singh Slathia lauded the constructive and vibrant role of National Conference in the State Legislature and said that the fight for the just cause of the people was to be taken to streets now.
Former MLCs Vijay Bakaya and Rattan Lal Gupta and former Minister Babu Ram Lal also spoke on the occassion.
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