Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Nov 24: Former State Chief Minister and PDP patron Mufti Mohd Sayeed today alleged that present coalition regime led by Omar Abdullah has humiliated the Panchayat members, diluted RTI Act as per its convenience and weakened the Accountability and Vigilance Commissions in the State.
Addressing one day convention of the party workers at Gandhinagar here today, Mr Sayeed said the present NC-led regime has dis-honoured the mandate of the people who had turned out in large number to cast vote in Panchayat elections which were held in the month of April 2011. “Not only this Government has humiliated elected Panchayat members, but has also insulted those voters who had caste their votes with a hope to strengthen democratic institutions at the grass root level,” he said.
Pointing towards inordinate delay in holding civil body elections without any reasons, he reminded the gathering that it was during the PDP led regime that elections of Civic Bodies were held after the gap of more than two decades. Civic body elections were scheduled to be held in the month of February 2010 but the Government has been delaying the elections without reason. He said the indifferent attitude to give powers to Panchayats and inordinate delay in conducting civil bodies polls, reflects dictatorial mindset of the present dispensation. Mufti mentioned that the decision to cancel BDC elections was a clear indication that this Government did not want to strengthen Panchayati Raj institutions in the State.
“With its continuous efforts, the PDP has restored people’s faith in the democracy but the present Government is brazenly trying to undermine the democratic institutions,” Mr Sayeed said adding that this regime has undermined the dignity and sanctity of the highest democratic institution like Assembly. “No discussion is allowed to be held in the Assembly. The issues raised there go unresponded by the Government functionaries and others concerned, ” he maintained.
The PDP chief reminded that District Development Boards are the institutions which were created to ensure balanced development with the involvement of elected representatives but the present regime has also eroded such institutions. Pointing towards rampant corruption in the State, Mufti observed that governance deficit was the main reason of increasing alienation of the people. He said corruption has crossed all the limits due to lack of transparency and accountability in the Government. He regretted that Accountability Commission and Vigilance Commissions were made defunct and weak and RTI Act was changed/ diluted as per own suitability by the present regime.
Highlighting the achievements of previous PDP-Congress Coalition, Mufti said, ” Our party had convinced successive Governments at Delhi through out convictions, to initiate some bold CBMs to restore lasting peace in the State. The PDP had entered into alliance with Congress by formulating a common minimum programme in which wishes of all the people were incorporated and pro-peace agenda was given first priority, he maintained.
Several senior party leaders and contesting candidates for LC elections from Jammu, Ved Mahajan and Gurmeet Singh Bajwa also addressed the gathering. Prominent among them included Rangil Singh, Tarlok Singh Bajwa, MLA Zulfiqar Ali, Asgar Ali- MLC, Th Balbir Singh, Shanti Devi, Th Suram Singh, Fullail Singh, B B Gupta, Suresh Sharma, Hamid Manhas and A A Wani.
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