Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Oct 6: Exhorting people to teach Congress a lesson for bartering wishes and aspirations of the people of Jammu region for lust of power, former Minister and MLA Raipura-Domana Assembly Segment, Bali Bhagat today said that history is testimony to the fact that Congress leadership has always backstabbed people to remain in power.
Addressing series of public meetings in support of BJP candidates in Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) elections, Bali Bhagat reiterated commitment of his party to strengthen democracy at the grass-root level by empowering Panchayats and Urban Local Bodies. “One can see grass-root level democracy in BJP ruled State like Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Chattisgarh where adequate powers have been delegated to local self-governments including Panchayats and urban local bodies”, he said and assured the people that similar system would be extended in J&K also with delegating adequate power to the elected representatives of Panchayats and civic bodies.
Coming down heavily on Congress for bulldozing democratic institutions in J&K with the connivance of Kashmir centric parties, Bhagat said that from 2002 to 2014, Congress had enjoyed power, first with PDP and then with National Conference (NC) but party failed to take any step to strengthen grass-root level institutions. “What to say of strengthening these institutions Congress leadership had shamelessly created hurdles in conducting elections of these bodies”, he said and mentioned towards recently announcement made by Union Home Minister, Rajnath Singh to extend maximum powers to the Panchayats of J&K.
“Panchayats in Jammu and Kashmir have been granted extraordinary powers to make the on-going Panchayat polls a meaningful exercise in a clear rebuff to the parties that have boycotted this much-awaited electoral process to strength democracy at the grass root level”, he said and added that Union Home Minister has declared to transfer of 29 subjects under the 73rd amendment of the Constitution of India to Panchayats in Jammu and Kashmir, making them equal in powers with these institutions in the rest of the country.
Like Panchayats, Urban Local Bodies would also be strengthen like other parts of the country so that people of J&K would get maximum benefits of grass-root level democracy.
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