Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, May 24: Speaker State Legislature and MLA Gandhi Nagar Kavinder Gupta said that the Government is committed to strengthen Panchayati Raj Institution (PRI).
He said this while addressing a public gathering at Jeevan Nagar area in Gandhi Nagar constituency.
Speaker was accompanied by Vinay Gupta, Jaideep Sharma, Ashok Kumar Khajuria, Baldev Billoria, TS Slathia, Harbans Chowdhary, Er Ashwani Khosla, Ishant Gupta, Ankush Gupta and other prominent leaders of the area along with officers of Rural Development, Revenue, PDD, PHE and Police Department.
Gupta highlighted the need of this historically important institution, adding that panchayats were functional institutions of grassroots governance in almost every village and they had the executive as well as judicial power during the medieval times as well.
Speaker said that the incapability of the previous Government can be judged from the fact that they were not able to develop the requisite democratic momentum and failed to cater to the needs of rural development.
“NC-Congress Government lacked political will to share power and resources with local level institutions which gave a halt to the implementation of welfare schemes at the grass root level”, he added.
Recalling the contribution of the Balwant Rai Mehta Committee, which studied community development projects and recommended that the community can only flourish if it is involved directly in the planning, decision-making and implementation process, he said that this Government is committed to implement its recommendations in letter and spirit.
Empowering the PRIs will give a boost to the development process and will bring transparency and accountability in the system, he added.
Speaker appealed to the people to involve themselves in the process of development directly or indirectly so that an effective and direct democracy can be brought into synergy which will in turn help in extension and deepening of democracy in the State.
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