Empowered Panchayats Can Neutralize Security Threats to Village Heads: AJKPC

PRESS NOTE

 

Threatening Posters for  Panchayat Members  

Empowered Panchayats Can Neutralize Security Threats to Village Heads: AJKPC  

Jammu, 26/Oct/2013: While reacting to the recent appearance of  threatening posters  for the Panchayat members there in Pulwama district of South Kashmir, All Jammu and Kashmir Conference, AJKPC has asked the state government  to take all necessary steps to ensure safety and security of the panchayat members.

Anil Sharma, General Secretary of the organization said  that though the Panchayat members are not scared of any  threats and would continue to work for democracy but the state government  must be careful to avoid any loss of human life. Anil also informed that in the threatening  posters that appeared on Friday   in Pulwama district ,  the elected Panches and Sarpanches had been threatened and asked to stop their activities, the Panchayat members have been arrayed as ‘Agents for Govt of India’.

Yet the Police has not confirmed the veracity of these posters  but no one should take any chance because  already 6 innocent Panchayat members have been brutally killed by the militants, the Panchayat leader added. Sharma  also said that the empowered Panchayats can ensure security of the elected Panches and Sarpanches. In his argument, the AJKPC leader said if the elected village heads are legally competent and authorize to serve their Panchayat People then obviously the general masses would serve as their security shield and protect them but in the present scenario and due to weaken Panchayati Raj Act, the elected village heads are rendered helpless and they are being made easy targets for the anti-national elements. He also reiterated his appeal to the Panches and Sarpanches not succumb to any threat and must not resign from their post.  The AJKPC is constantly putting pressure on the J & K to government to extend 73^rd amendment of the Indian Constitution here in the state and it has also demanded an ordinance in this regard to expedite the process of strengthening the Panchayti Raj Institutions in the state.