AJKPC asks government to withdraw PR Bill Amendment

AJKPC  asks government to withdraw  PR Bill Amendment

Jammu, 26/July/2016: All Jammu and Kashmir Panchayat Conference, AJKPC today once again asked the PDP-BJP coalition government to withdraw amendments in the Jammu and Kashmir Panchayati Raj Bill. Asking the state government to take a cue from the decision of the honourable governor to return the said bill for clearance to the state government.

Anil Sharma, president of the organization while addressing the media persons after chairing a meeting of the Panchayat representatives of Jammu division informed that all the members of AJKPC have unanimously  appealed the state government to withdraw anti-democracy bill  to avoid any confrontation.

Cautioning the Coalition government to learn lessons from the past blunders of the previous governments (election rigging in 1987 ) that had lead to turbulence and violence in the state and avoid fiddling with the democratic  laws and institutions again.

“Our 13 brave panchayat members have sacrificed their lives between 2011 to 2016 to upkeep the democracy alive in the state but instead of respecting their martyrdom the PDP-BJP government is rubbing salt on wounds” , said Sharma.

The people of all the three regions of J & K State are pro-democracy and believe in the idea of decentralisation of power this was the reason that over 80 percent voting was recorded during last panchayat elections, even in most militancy affected areas of the state, be it Valley or in Jammu people daring all odds chose the democratic process but now this amendment in the PR Act may loose their faith and then the entire liability shall be on the shoulders of the Coalition government.

The Panchayat leader while condemning the ruling as well as opposition parties for their double standards in and outside the legislative assembly to weaken the Jammu and Kashmir Panchayati Raj Act through the amendments, he said the members of these political parties supported the bill in the assembly but pretended to oppose it before the people and their bluff have also been exposed.

The AJKPC president asked the state government not to take a rigid stand and withdraw the proposed amendments in the PR Bill that were passed by state legislature during last session of the house. He said, when the highest constitutional institution of the state i.e Raj Bhavan has expressed its displeasure which is evident through returning the bill for seeking clarification, now it becomes moral duty of the elected government to respect the constitution and also voice of the people who have already opposed the amendments in the Jammu and Kashmir Panchayati Raj Act. Those who attended the meeting and were present during the press conference include, Goutam Singh Jamwal, Provincial President, Jammu, Raj Kumar, Provincial, Vice President, Jammu, Sardar Inderjeet Singh, Raj Dev Singh,  Captain Kasturi lal Sharma, , Bindu Choudhary, Sanjeev Singh, Sarfraz Choudhary,  Ram Pal Sharma, Amjad Malik,,Captain Ajeet Singh, Mani Ram Sharma, Avinash Devi, Mohan Lal Mengi, Puran Chand Bhagat, Mohammad Aslam and others.