STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: Congress Party has urged the Governor to withhold his assent to the controversial Panchayat Raj (Amendment) Bill 2016, which seeks to dilute the authority of Panchayats by changing the pattern of direct election of Sarpanch by the general voters in the Panchayat.
JKPCC has described the move of the PDP-BJP Coalition Government as anti-democratic and an attempt to weaken the authority of Panchayats and dilute the spirit of 73rd Amendment, for political motives of the coalition partners, as the government wants to manage control over these institutions through the medium of this amendment.
According to Chief Spokesperson JKPCC, Ravinder Sharma, the party has forwarded a petition to the Governor, appealing to exercise his powers and withhold his assent to this retrograde and anti-democratic Bill, passed by PDP-BJP majority in the both Houses despite strong opposition by the Congress and other opposition parties. The party would submit a memorandum to the Governor tomorrow at Raj Bhawan office Jammu, led by PCC President, G.A Mir and other senior leaders and representatives of Panchayats against this Bill, which also proposes to club several existing CD Blocks to deprive them of their representation in their respective District Development Boards.
