Srinagar, Apr 17: Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) president Ghulam Ahmad Mir on Saturday said that the party will observe 24th April as National Panchayat Day, as that, the 73rd and 74th amendment incorporated in Panchayati Raj Act was passed by the Parliament on this day in 1990, ensuring 33% reservation to women in Panchayats and ULBs.
“Congress is committed to decentralization of power at grass roots level through Panchayats to ensure that poor, downtrodden and weaker sections living in the country and others get benefitted,” Mir said while addressing senior party functionaries at Srinagar party office on Saturday.
JKPCC president emphasized the party leaders to gear up for observing 24th April as National Panchayat Day to mark the historical initiative of Former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi to incorporate 73rd and 74th amendment in Panchayati Raj Act, ensuring 33% women reservation in Panchayats and ULBs, Mir said.
The women empowerment and decentralization of power at grass roots level through panchayats was Rajiv Gandhi’s dream come true and the party will continue to work in that direction, Mir said.
The bill to incorporate 73rd and 74th amendment was introduced in Parliament in 1989, subsequently it was passed in 1990, it was landmark decision of Former Prime Minister of India Rajiv Gandhi, who was extremely concerned about the development of people at grass roots level, JKPCC President said.
Referring to the ongoing 45 days of “Chalo Panchayat Ki Aur”, Mir said that party had decided to review overall development at grassroots, besides the tall claims with regard to Back to village events by the government during the 45 days programme aiming to get the feedback from Sarpanchs and Panchs.
It was party’s endeavor to reach nook and corner across J&K to review the developmental scenario at grass root level, similarly the outcome of back to village events held in J&K by the government, which seems to have yielded no results, as observed by the party during the recently held Panchayat conferences in South Kashmir.
It was very disappointing to observe that the Panchayats were not being allowed to function, besides the authority of these institutions were undermined in a systematic manner, Mir added and said the democratic institutions not only in J&K, but across the country have been weakened by the BJP government, which was matter of serious concern for all Indians, Mir said.
Congress party will continue to expose the wrong policies on the Part of BJP government to make it accountable and answerable to people. JKPCC President also lamented the fact that the government claim with regard to success of B2Vs and development at grass roots were contrary to the ground situation, which was very different from what the government claims, Mir said.
