KL Report
Srinagar
M Y Tarigami, CPI (M) State Secretary, on Wednesday asked state government to convene an all party meeting to evolve a broader consensus on the issue of Panchayat empowerment. He said the matter should not be confined to the Coalition’s coordination committee meetings only.
“It is encouraging, if the coordination committee of the coalition partners has discussed some issues related to insurance and other concerns of Panchs and Sarpanchs. But in a holistic manner, the empowerment of Panchayat Raj Institutions (PRIs) in the state needs threadbare consultations that can happen only when the state government convenes an all party meeting as soon as possible,” said Tarigami.
Any delay in empowerment of these grassroots level bodies is bound to erode the essence and sanctity of these institutions says Tarigami adding deferring the elections to Block Development Councils (BDCs) illustrates utter confusion and non seriousness among coalition partners vis-?-vis empowerment of the PRI’s in the State. “We think that no “concern” or reservation should become an impediment in way of holding direct elections for the remaining two tiers of Panchayat Raj system.”
Tarigami also said the government must remove weaknesses in structural and operational foundations of PRIs for the best interests of people. Like confining direct election to the village level Panchayats in the three tier PRIs is the biggest flaw in the present structure of these institutions.
He stressed that doing politics over the empowerment of PRIs tantamount doing injustice to a man living in some remote rural area of the state. He supports the empowerment of these local body institutions and says it should be pushed hard and there should be no further delay.
