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| NC & Congress fail to empower Panchayats | | | Today it is yes from the National Con-
ference to the demand of the Congress
for amending the state Panchayati Raj Act on the pattern of the Centre. It is silence from the National Conference as far as the demand for incorporating 73rd amendment in the state Act the next day. And on the third day it is "no" from the ruling NC to have the Panchayati Raj system`` in the state on the style of the one that has been framed by the Centre. Notwithstanding repeated pestering by the Congress the NC leadership is yet to accept the Congress plea for amending the state Panchayati Raj Act. Despite the fact that the Congress vice president, Rahul Gandhi,has voiced full support to the idea of empowering members of the Panchayat committees the NC leadership is trying to play cool and safe lest it should be blamed for causing further erosion to the state's internal autonomy and for diluting the spirit of Article 370, which gives to the Jammu and Kashmir a special status within the union of India, if it incorporates 73rd constitutional amendment to the state Panchayat Raj Act. The NC leadership wants to avoid any such controversy when the Lok Sabha and the Assembly elections in the state are due next year.
But senior leaders of the state unit of the Congress seem to have come to the conclusion that the NC leadership is neither interested in empowering members of Panchayat committees nor ready to amend the state Panchayati Raj Act on the pattern the Centre had done.And still the Congress keeps on raking up the issue. The state Congress chief, Prof Saif-ud-Din Soz has termed the differences with National Conference as the main hurdle in the implementation of 73rd amendment of Indian Constitution in J&K.
Without naming NC, he said Congress would have succeeded in getting 73rd amendment extended to JK but differences with its coalition partner in the state have proved a hurdle in this regard. Soz has said; "There are compulsions and difference in thinking between the two coalition partners which have proved as a hurdle in the implementation of 73rd amendment or else Congress would have managed to implement the same two years ago. He has also set aside any early decision on the pre-poll alliance with NC saying that the onus with regard to this rests with the Congress high command. He has stated that the decision whether Congress will be contesting assembly elections in alliance with NC or independently will be taken by the Congress high command.
Though Soz has held NC responsible for delay in empowering panchayat committee members critics have started suspecting the Congress for its intentions on the issue. Their plea is that if the Congress,that shares power with the NC,is serious about empowering panchayat committee members it could easily mount pressure on its alliance partner and get the state Act amended.If there was need the Congress could have threatened to pull out of the Government if the NC leadership delayed empowering Panchs and Sarpanchs. And the NC which is not willing to lose power would have succumbed to the pressure.
But it has not been done.And it is no longer a secret. Even after Omar Abdullah's claim that he has cemented close bonds of friendship with Rahul Gandhi the Chief Minister is yet to shed scare because he knows that Rahul Gandhi's word is law for the Congress high command. Consequently had Rahul Gandhi conveyed one simple and strong message to Omar the Panchayati Raj Act would have been amended in Jammu and Kashmir. It has not been done despite public pronouncement of Rahul's support for empowering panchayats.
This seems to have made congress a suspect in the eyes of people in Jammu and Kashmir. It seems that both the Congress and the NC leadership believes in kidding people. It may prove costly for both the parties when the elections are drawing near. |
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