Srinagar, Oct 2: The ruling National Conference Tuesday termed the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party’s claim of empowering Panchayats through its bill as a “political gimmick full of deceit.”
“The PDP only believes in disempowerment of democratic institutions. They have all along tried to weaken the Panchayats,” said NC spokesman, Tanvir Sadiq.
“In 2005, to supersede the Panchayats and to make them their stooges and puppets Mufti Sahib introduced a bill under LA Bill No. 2 of 2005 to amend the Chapter 2 section 9 of the Panchayat Raj Act 1989, which stated that the powers will vest in the government to dissolve the then elected Panchayats,” said Tanvir.
He said the architect of the bill wanted to put the entire Panchayat Raj System at the disposal of whims, fancies and mercy of the government whereby destroying the basic fabric and intent of the grass root democracy.
Tanveer said that after the bill was introduced in the assembly, the NC which was in opposition fought and opposed the bill tooth and nail calling it as ‘murder of democracy’. “Even then the PDP ensured that it is passed in both the houses of legislature and sent to the Governor for his assent,” Tanvir said. He said NC did not give up and took the fight to the Raj Bhawan and a delegation headed by Abdul Rahim Rather the then leader of Opposition met the governor and pleaded the case of the Panchayats.
“After second round of consultation with Rather sahib and a series of consultation thereby the Governor was convinced that this Bill was against the basic tenets of democracy and for the first time in the history of JK, Governor withheld the assent to the Bill thereby also endorsing the stand of the NC,” Tanvir said, adding that the bill was not only anti- people, anti –Panchayat, anti- democratic but also a murder of democracy.
“It surprises us that the PDP now talks about empowerment of Panchayats by hoodwinking the people and spreading false information. They (PDP) have all along been an impediment to the election, devolution and empowerment of the grass root democracy. PDP patron wanted to give powers to the government to dissolve Panchayats in his rule,” said Tanvir.
The NC spokesman said that the party’s sincerity cannot ever be doubted because it was the NC government that brought the JK Panchayat Raj act of 1989 into being. “It was Chief Minister Omar Abdullah led government that conducted elections to the Panchayats after years and 33,850 people were elected by the people with an 85 per cent electorate participating,” he said.
Terming the PDP as enemies of Panchayats, Tanvir said that Mehbooba was lying about the Bill as any document submitted by a member can be accepted by the assembly secretariat but eventually it is the Speaker who decides the fate of any such Bills. “By flaunting a piece of paper, distorting facts and misrepresenting details, it is evident that they have their ulterior motives behind such canard thereby again hampering the process of election to the Block Development Council (BDC),” the NC spokesman added.
“Since the talk of BDC election and the NC government’s desire to hold election to BDC’s they have become jittery and confused and foresee their defeat,” said Tanvir.

Lastupdate on : Tue, 2 Oct 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
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