Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee on Sunday accused the state government of “thrusting” the Panchayat elections on the people and claimed “it would cost” Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti “dearly” as the time is not yet right for the polls.
“You are thrusting the Panchayat polls on the people. We warn you (Mehbooba) that it will cost you dearly and the consequences will be grave for you,” state Congress chief G A Mir said here.
He was referring to state Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister Abdul Haq’s statement last week that the Panchayat polls in the state 5would be held in March and preparations were on for the same. Addressing a day-long convention of Congress workers at Sher-i-Kashmir International Conference Centre (SKICC), Mir said, “The time and weather is not ripe and she (Mehbooba) is going for the elections without preparations just as Modi went for demonetisation.
“She is under some pressure and the way she is taking steps, those are against the interests of the people (of the state),” he alleged.
“Mehbooba’s government is creating pressure for holding the polls by taking hasty steps, be it increasing number of wards or separating Panchayats. These should be done by a delimitation committee or the commission.
“But she is having all this done by a single department, which is totally unconstitutional. We condemn it,” Mir said.
He said that Congress along with the people will oppose the government if it holds the elections “adopting wrong ways”.
A Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee spokesperson said the convention at SKICC was called to debate and discuss the impact of demonetisation, “interference” in democratic institutions by the state government and other issues.
Claiming that demonetisation was “implemented without being discussed or approved by the RBI, which was sidelined by the Prime Minister by taking a unilateral decision”, he said Congress has sought clarification from the Centre over the note-ban issue.
The JKPCC president also demanded that all restrictions on withdrawal of money be lifted with immediate effect, the spokesperson said.
“The party has five demands. First, all restrictions should be lifted.
Till the time these restrictions are in place, a special interest at the rate of 18 per cent per annum should be given to all bank account holders. All charges on digital transactions should be abolished forthwith,” he said.
The rate of rations distributed under the PDS should be halved for a year under the provisions of the Food Security Act. In addition, a special one-time bonus of 20 per cent should be provided over and above the minimum sale price of all Rabi crops, the party spokesperson said.
“Rs 25,000 should be deposited in the account of at least one woman belonging to each BPL family as compensation for the immense suffering caused to women due to demonetisation,” he said, adding the number of guaranteed work days and the wage rate under MGNREGA should be doubled for a year.
“Government should organise a special drive to identify and register all those who have lost jobs since November 8 (when demonetisation was announced) and give them compensation at the applicable minimum wage rate,” the spokesperson said.
He said the fifth demand of the party is that an Income Tax and Sales tax rebate of 50 per cent should be given to small shopkeepers.