STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: All Jammu Kashmir Panchayat Conference (AJKPC) on Wednesday asked the ruling PDP-BJP Coalition to make a request to the Governor N.N Vohra for returning of controversial and flawed ‘The Jammu and Kashmir Panchayati Raj (Amendment) Bill, 2016’ to rectify its blunder of imposing ‘black law’ on the rural people of the State. The AJKPC also declared that it would launch a State-wide agitation at Panchayat and block levels if the State Government does not make a request to the Governor for returning the Bill.
“This is not the fight for election of a Sarpanch or Panch in a Panchayat but it is a decisive battle for restoration of democracy which has ruthlessly been hammered and crushed at the grass-roots level.
The State Government has violated the fundamental rights of the people and made a direct assault on democratic ethos of the State by passing the illogical Bill in both the Houses of State Legislature,” Anil Sharma, State President AJKPC told reporters here on Wednesday.
“It appears the State Government did not apply its mind before introducing this amendment in the PRA because it will directly make political interference in the PRIs.
After this amendment, a Sarpanch will act like a MLC or Rajya Sabha member as he will be elected by Panchs and he will have no accountability to the people directly,” AJKPC leader said.
“Instead of strengthening the democracy at grass-roots level and encouraging larger public participation in decision making at local levels, the PDP-BJP Coalition has virtually strengthened the voices of separatists in Kashmir Valley who are against the participation of people in elections.
The government move will be insult to the sacrifices of those Panchayat members and security personnel who laid their lives for strengthening of democracy at grass-roots level in sensitive State of Jammu and Kashmir,” the AJKPC president said.
