Shah Abbas
Srinagar
In an apparent damage control exercise, state president of Congress party, Prof Saif Ud Din Soz explained the seriousness of Rahul Gandhi towards empowerment of Sarpanchs and Panchs while addressing media in SKICC, Srinagar.
“Rahul said that he would support Panches and Sarpanches Campaign for devolution of powers. He also said this should be done within a time frame,” Prof Soz explained. “It should be noted that the devolution of powers to the Sarpanches and Panchs means adoption of the 73rd amendment of the constitution of India, in whatever form it is made”.
The news conference was called at a short notice in the backdrop of Friday’s well publicized walk out by panchayat representatives after having closed door meeting with Rahul. While walking out, they had alleged that Rahul avoided talking about their empowerment during an interaction session. “Militants will not kill us but this politics by the government will,” they had said.
Trying to explain the statement of Rahul at SKICC about empowering Panchs and Sarpanchs, Soz said that Rahul advocated a time frame action about it.
Reiterating demand for implementation of 73rd amendment, Soz said, “adaptation of 73rd amendment is a must.”
While arguing his demand he said that when state government had no objection in adopting the central laws in the case of NAREGA why it hesitates to do so for the empowerment of Panchs and Sarpanchs.” “It is adoptable and should be adopted because it is in the interest of the success of the democratic process,” he added.
In response to a question PCC president said that the Chief Minister should expose the names of those two congress Ministers who met him and opposed the adaptation of 73rd constitutional amendment. “If CM has the moral courage he should come with the names of the two Ministers so that I can take action is taken against them,” he said.
Advocating the empowerment of Panches and Sarpanches Soz said , “ If state government has some hesitations in adopting the 73rd amendment of the constitution of India then it should amend it’s own Panchayat Act to bring it at par with the central Act, we have no objection even in this because we only the empowering of the democratic institution of Panchayat”.
Soz announced that Youth wing of the party will continue it’s demand to adopt the 73rd constitutional amendment.
