KL Desk
Jammu
Reiterating that Block Development Council (BDC) elections were deferred to empower Panchayats, the President JKPCC Prof Saif-ud-Din Soz on Thursday stated there was broader understanding between coalition partners for the empowerment of Panchayat Raj Institutions (PRIs) on the pattern of 73rd amendment of the Constitution of India by incorporating best provisions in the state Panchayat Raj Act.
Addressing a meeting of Sarpanches and Panches at Akhnoor today, Soz said that the polls for the Block Development Councils were deferred for a short period, for the purpose of further empowering these institutions and to provide reservation to women, SCs and other sections.
Interestingly, Soz’s statement came a day after the former minister and MLA Inderwal Ghulam Mohammad Saroori while addressing Panches & Sarpanches of Drabshallah and Thatri block of Inderwal constituency, stated that the BDC polls were deferred at the behest of Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Ghulam Nabi Azad, who had the better understanding of Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs).
“Due to Mr Azad the BDC election were deferred because election exercise will be futile unless depressed class of society – Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes – and also women folk are not represented at the block and district levels in Panchayat raj system in Jammu and Kashmir,” said Saroori.
Soz, however campaigning for coalition candidates Sham Lal Bhagat (Congress Candidate) and Dr Shenaz Ganai (National Conference Candidate) at Akhnoor said that the poll for BDCs and district bodies would also be held shortly after the necessary amendments in the state act. He said that the issue of honorarium to Sarpanches and Panches had already been taken up with the central government.
