Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Aug 7: Youth Congress while describing the State of Panchayati Raj in J&K as sham today threatened to launch an agitation across the State if the Government fails to empower Panchayats within a week.
Addressing a press conference here this afternoon, Chetan Pratap Singh, Secretary, Indian Youth Congress and in-charge Jammu and Kashmir said that the Panchayati Raj existing in the State is ‘sham’. The devolution of powers of the 14 Government departments as announced by the State Government to the Panchayats is just an eye-wash aimed at hoodwinking the common masses, he added.
“The Congress has been demanding for the implementation of 73rd and 74th Amendments in the Jammu and Kashmir Panchayati Raj Act. The State Government is not serious in implementing these amendments. As such we are giving a time frame of one week to the Government to implement the amendments. If they do it well and good, otherwise we would come on streets and raise agitation,” said Chetan.
He said that from August 9 the Youth Congress activists would submit memorandum to the Deputy Commissioners across the State impressing upon them to speed up the process of implementing the amendments in the state Panchayati Raj Act. He said time has come when the State Government should implement the amendments so that Panchayati Raj flourishes in the State like the other parts of the country.
“We have the backing of central leadership and it would be ensured that amendments in the State Panchayati Raj Act are made. Execution as well as accountability of the works done in the rural areas is done by the Gram Sabha. In the absence of 73rd and 74th Amendments the Gram Sabha would not be able to discharge its duties to the fullest possible level,” said Chetan.
Chetan said that Section 45 (3) of the Panchayati Raj Act of Jammu and Kashmir envisages nominated chairmen of District Development Boards and Section 4 (3) stipulates provision of nominated members in Panchayats thereby keeping the Panchayats subservient to bureaucratic sweet will. He said provision of social audit through Gram Sabhas is also missing in State.
“A delegate session of the party was held in May this year and a resolution regarding implementation of 73rd and 74th Amendments in State Panchayati Raj Act was passed. Despite the passing of the resolution in the delegate session there has been no headway in implementing the amendments in the State Panchayati Raj Act,” said Chetan.
Responding to a question, he said that the Coalition Government is a compulsion, adding that Congress expects Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah and Rural Development Minister, Ali Mohammad Sagar to come in and make the State Panchayati Raj Act in tune with the Central Panchayati Raj Act.
Sharing his views, Mohammad Shahnawaz Chaudhary, President Pradesh Youth Congress said that the State Government is coercing the Youth Congress cadres to come on streets and raise protest in support of their demands. He demanded that the tenure of Panchayats in the state should be increased from five years to six years.
The other leaders of the Youth Congress who were present include PYC vice president Pranav Shagotra, Gen Secretary PYC Manjeet Singh Jatt, LYC president Srinagar, Aamir Rasool, PYC General Secretary Abid Kashmiri, LYC president Ladakh Reyaz Ahmad Khan, LYC president Anantnag, Naseer Mir, LYC vice president Aijaz Mehar, LYC VP Firdous Ahmad Malik, LYC Gen Secretary Faiz Ahmad Mir, LYC General Secretary Aijaz Maqbool, AYC president Mehraj ul-Din Bhat, Dr Sheikh Nazir, Muzafar Ahmad Parray, Mohammad Shafat, Khursheed Isfandyar, Zahoor Bhat and Fouzia Fareed.
Follow our WhatsApp channel