Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Sept 16: Stating that grass-root level democratic institutions are pivotal for transformation of rural areas in terms of development, the senior Congress leaders Madan Lal Sharma and Sham Lal Sharma declared that announcement of Urban Local Bodies and Panchayat elections was a great blow to some political parties/ groups opposing the same in the State.
Addressing one day Block Congress workers meeting at Jourian in Akhnoor Sub- Division today, Sham Lal Sharma exhorted upon the cadre to gear up for upcoming ULB and Panchayat elections. He said that participation of youth and women is imperative for ensuring their effective involvement in decision making at local levels. He exuded confidence that the sagacious voters would elect dedicated and public spirited representatives who would change the rural scenario by their innovative ideas.
The people of J&K have made up their mind to participate in the forthcoming Local Bodies and Panchayati elections in large number. He said that the people want that they should be empowered at grass root level to enable to take up the issues related to their areas. The people feel that instead of approaching the state officials for their local problems, these elections will afford them the opportunity to undertake the developmental and other issues as per their requirement.
Taking a dig on boycotting parties (NC & PDP) Sham said that these parties are against the empowerment of people at grass root level thereby, murdering the ethics of democracy for their vested interest. He said that these self centered parties are interested to keep the powers with themselves as MLAs/Ministers and they aren’t in favour of decentralising their powers to grass root level institutions.
Madan Lal Sharma alleged the PDP-BJP leaders were busy “only in delivering sermons and repeating the often repeated hollow claims”. “Unemploy-ment was a huge challenge for the state and this problem contributes to the political uncertainty and unrest. Instead of taking concrete steps to provide means of livelihood to people, they neglected it completely. All the important projects of Jammu region are lying unattended,” he added.
Sharma said that the poll promises of BJP and PDP have proved to be mere bluffs and people are fed up with the policies and sheer opportunism of two parties. Both the parties took the extreme positions on most of the emotional issues and exploited their respective constituencies to the hilt, with a false and deceptive promise to keep each other out of power, if voted in strength.
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