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| Rising above party lines; Sarpanches, Panches may hold united protests for time bound polls | | Postponement of BDC election | | Early Times Report
Jammu, Oct 17: Fumed over the decision of NC-Congress coalition to postpone/cancel elections to Block Development Council, (BDCs), the elected members of respective Halqa Panchayats including Panchs and Sarpanchs, cutting across party lines are learnt to have decided to hold protests, dharnas and demonstrations throughout the State.
On Monday evening, the State Cabinet that met under chairmanship of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah took decision to cancel/postpone the election to BDC and to incorporate provision of reservation to SC/ST and women section and also to start the election process afresh.
"It's the matter of our self-respect as Government cannot take us for granted. If they are sitting Ministers, they too have reached that chair after getting peoples' mandate. Similarly, we too have been elected as Panchs and Sarpanchs by the people. They (Ministers) have a vast circle of governance and we have a limited circle of governance. We are not at their mercy. They must realize or the time is not far when they will have to repent for their decision when the process of next Assembly polls will be set in motion," voiced number of Sarpanchs and probable candidates who described the decision as making mockery of the democratic system.
The agitated members of Panchayats have also apprehended that the State Government may not issue fresh notification to the said election and may shelve the vital issue.
If sources are to be believed, soon after hearing the news of cancellation/postponement of elections to BDCs, Panchs and Sarpanchs of respective Panchayats of the both Jammu as well as Kashmir Provinces were quite critical of the decision and described the same as failure of the Government to fulfill its promise. "Panchs and Sarpanchs of even the ruling coalition have expressed their anguish over the decision as they had already jumped in the political arena and started campaigning in favour of their candidates, weeks back," revealed the sources.
"Number of members of elected Panchayats having their allegiance with different political outfits, and also the non-elected persons who had decided to contest the election to BDCs in their respective Blocks were shocked to see the decision at the eleventh hour," sources further shared and added that "in an attempt to demonstrate their anger and fight for their self-respect, Panchs and Sarpanchs are holding closed door parleys even with the rival political parties and chalking out strategies how to pressurize the Government for time bound election."
"We are in touch with Panchs and Sarpanchs who support NC and Congress policies and are trying to persuade them that leave the party lines behind and come forward with united face as it is the matter of self-respect of elected members of Panchayat Halqas. If we will fail to stand united under a single banner, we will be seen as teeth-less tigers. Then in future, there will be no one in the administration even at the block levels who will take our resolutions and recommendations seriously," shared number of Sarpanchs and Panchs belonging to opposition PDP, BJP and JKNPP camps. |
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