Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Nov 7: Expressing their total displeasure over holding of elections to four seats of Legislative Council Members reserved for Panchayats, All Jammu and Kashmir Panchayat Conference (AJKPC) today warned to boycott the elections till the implementation of 73rd Amendment is made in the State.
“We will not participate in the ensuing elections to MLCs till the empowerment of Panchayats in the State”, chairman AJKPC, Shafiq Mir and its general secretary Anil Sharma told reporters here this afternoon.
Maintaining that they will continue their fight for empowerment of Panchayats in the State the duo said that they will not make any compromise in this regard. “We are more concerned for the safety and security of our Panchs and Sarpanchs than becoming MLCs”, they added.
Accusing the State Government of deliberately announcing the MLCs elections from Panchayat quota just to divert the attention from real issue of empowerment of Panchayat institutions in the State, they said these elections are nothing but an eye wash and Sarpanchs have never made any demand in this regard.
Shafiq Mir said that what is the fun of Panchayat members taking part in these elections when legislators are already against the empowerment of Panchayats in the State. This way the Panchayat members will add four more members in this brigade who will also toe their line, he added.
The AJKPC leaders made an appeal to all the Panchs and Sarpanchs in the State that not to heed the appeals for vote by politicians unless they get the 73rd Amendment implanted, get salary for Panchs and Sarpanchs sanctioned and also arrange fool proof security for Panchs and Sarpanchs in the State in the wake of militants threats.
They said till these conditions are fulfilled the Panchs and Sarpanchs will boycott the elections.
The duo also made an appeal to Election Commission of India to postpone these elections till three- tier system of Panchayati Raj Institutions is established in the State.
Expressing surprise over the announcement of these elections to four MLC seats they said when Block Development Councils, District Development Boards and Planning Board (Zila Parishad) have not been constituted what is the fun of announcing these elections.
Anil Sharma also made a dig at opposition parties in the State accusing them of their total failure in raising the issue of empowerment of Panchayats and alleged that they were playing politics on this important issue.
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