Excelsior Correspondent
UDHAMPUR, Feb 6: Expressing concern over the repeated postponement of Panchayat and Local Bodies elections in the State, NPP chairman and former minister Harsh Dev Singh today lambasted the BJP-PDP alliance for destroying the institutions of local self governance in the State for petty political motives.
He said that the political expediencies of the ruling alliance being the main reason for avoiding the elections, the State Govt was desperately looking for excuses and alibis including convening of All Parties Meets (APM) to evade the said polls. He said that plea of non-conducive atmosphere was totally unacceptable and untenable as the State as well as Central Govts had been repeatedly claiming improvement in security scenario in the State.
Addressing public meeting in Majalta area of Ramnagar constituency today, NPP leader regretted that while the uncertainty prevailed over Panchayat elections for the last around 20 months, the elections to Municipal Bodies had been denied for the last eight years in view of their becoming due in the year 2010.
Accusing the BJP of trying to sabotage the process of democratic decentralization, Harsh Dev claimed that its representatives had made highly perverse and anti- people suggestions in the All Party Meet with regard to the constitution of Panchayati Raj institutions in the State. He revealed that the BJP State chief had proposed the grant of Block Chairman Posts to respective MLAs instead of the Panchayat representatives in circumvention of the provisions envisaged under the present Panchayati Raj system all over the country. He expressed his dismay that the BJP leader in his desperation “to empower the legislature” failed to appreciate that such kind of doles on the MLAs would only amount to encroachment upon the rights and interests of the Panchayats and Gram Sabhas.
Alleging a deep rooted conspiracy by the ruling alliance to thwart the system of local self governance in the State, Singh said that Ministers and MLAs were extremely hesitating to part with the powers which they had usurped and enjoyed in the absence of local bodies. Plans of Panchayats and Blocks were being formulated by these legislators on their own to suit their political interests without addressing the local aspirations which had also created resentment amongst the rural masses, said Harsh.
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