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Panchayat representatives to Govt: ‘Empower us or we resign’

SHABIR AHMAD. Dated: 10/2/2012 12:28:53 AM

ANANTNAG, Oct 1: With opposition all set to corner the government in coming days of the autumn session of the assembly over the Panchayat Raj system, the Sarpanchs and Panches today reiterated their program of mass resignation if government fails to pass the bill on their empowerment in the ongoing assembly session only.
Panchayat representatives from different areas of the valley who held a meeting today in the conference hall of the rural development department (RDD) decided to tender mass resignation before the parliament if government did not come up with something positive in the assembly session. “All the representatives who were a part of meeting agreed with the program of the mass resignation if the bill was not passed on the empowerment of Panchayats in the ongoing assembly session,” said general secretary of the Jammu and Kashmir Panch Sarpanch Association (JKPSA), Khursheed Ahmad Malik.
He said that they have decided to wait till the end of the assembly session to see what the government does for them. “We have been assured full empowerment by the Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi during the meeting with him in Delhi recently. So let us wait for four more days to see what government can do for us in assembly. And after the conclusion of the assembly session if we feel that nothing was done for the empowerment and security of Panchayats we will hold a Panchayat Conference on 6th of October where in the program of the mass resignation will be given a final shape,” Malik said.
He said that they don’t only want the incorporation of all the provisions 73rd amendment of the constitution but more than that owing to the special status enjoyed by Jammu and Kashmir. “The ball is in the court of the government now. And if it fails to do it this time again nobody can stop us from flying to Delhi and tendering the mass resignation before the parliament,” Malik said.