Jammu, Apr 24: The state Congress party is totally divided over the demand of extension of 73rd and 74th amendment to the state being vociferously put forth by the Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) chief, Saifuddin Soz.
 The differences within Congress party over the issue have come to fore on many occasions as many party leaders have publicly accused their own party MLAs of creating hurdles in the extension of the amendments to the state despite the fact that JKPCC President Saifuddin Soz never misses any opportunity to take on the coalition partner NC on the issue.
 A senior Congress party leader, who is also minister in the state cabinet, while questioning the repeated outcry of JKPCC president, said that the state Panchayati Raj Act was almost complete in all senses and there was no need to implement the said amendments. “The Panchayati Raj Act of Jammu and Kashmir state was enacted before the Panchayati Raj Act of Union of India. All the provisions of the Panchayati Raj Act of Indian Constitution are already in the state’s Panchayati Raj Act” he said, adding that there was no need for the implementation of constitutional amendments in the state.
  “To act in accordance with the terms of 73rd and 74th amendment, the state government has already constituted separate election commission and state Finance Commission,” he said, adding that the only major difference was that the state has given Panchayats supervisory powers of 14 departments against 24 as prescribed under the 73rd and 74th amendment.
 “In a phased manner the control of all these departments at the Panchayat level will be given to its representatives. The Panchayati Raj Act of J&K state has all the provisions of Panchayati Raj Act of other states so what is the need to implement 73rd and 74th amendment?” he questioned.
 He expressed his inability to comment on the reasons behind the frequent utterances being made by Soz about the commitment of Congress party for the extension of the two amendments to the state. 
 Pertinently, a few days back Member Parliament of Congress Party Madan Lal Sharma, who is also from the Soz camp, at a public rally at Kortana Rajouri, had said that legislators of various parties including Congress were creating hurdles in the implementation of 73rd and 74th amendment. He alleged the legislators were not favouring the move as they have apprehensions that their power would be undermined if Sarpanchs and Panchs are given more powers.
 The objections raised by the senior Congress party Minister indicates that the party legislators are not united in supporting the implementation of amendments in the state.

Lastupdate on : Tue, 24 Apr 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Tue, 24 Apr 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Wed, 25 Apr 2012 00:00:00 IST