Legislature to amend Panchayati Raj Act

Govt sets up high powered Committee on 73rd amendment

JAMMU, Jan 25: In a significant decision, the Government has constituted a high powered four members Commission to look into the reports of two Congress leaders and entire relevant material available with Law and Rural Development Depart-ments besides the Legislative Assembly and Council Secretariats and prepare a comprehensive document for placement before the Legislature in upcoming budget session to discuss provisions of 73rd amendment of the Constitution of India, which can be incorporated in the Panchayati Raj Act.

The Government has ordered constitution of high level Commission to take "best possible material’’ available before it in the form of reports and other documents before going in for amendments in the Panchayati Raj Act in the budget session of the Legislature before announcing the elections to 143 Block Development Councils (BDCs).  The high powered Commission comprised Commissioner/Secretary, Rural Development Department, Farooq Ahmad Pir, Law Secretary GH Tantray, Director Rural Development, Jammu, Shafiq Ahmad Raina and Director Rural Development Kashmir, Altaf Mir.

Official sources told the Excelsior that the Government decided to set up the Commission as there had been enough material before it including two reports submitted by State unit of the Congress, which was a partner in the Government, and some other documents drafted by the Rural Development Department, Law Department, Panchayati Raj Department, legislators and Non-Governmental Organisat-ions (NGOs).

The Commission has been handed over the reports of two Congress leaders—Ravinder Sharma, MLC and GA Mir, MLA (now Tourism Minister) and other data pertaining to implementation of 73rd amendment of the Constitution of India.

"The Government has asked the Commission to go into all material available with it and then suggest, which issues were missing in the State Panchayati Raj Act and could be included in it by way of amendments in the Legislature’’, sources said, adding that the Commission has been asked to finish its task within the time period of one month so that it could be discussed with the stake holders followed by the Cabinet and cleared for placement in the Legislature for amendments in the Panchayati Raj Act.

The important data before the Commission included Constitutional guarantee to the Panchayats, elections to Panchayats after every five years, supervision and control of important Departments to the Panchayats in real terms, constitution of Finance and Election Commissions for the Panchayats, reservations to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, women and SC/ST women in the BDC elections, remunerations to Sarpanchs and Panchs and various other provisions of 73rd amendment, mostly pertaining to their empowerment, which were not applicable in the State as they were not part of the State Panchayati Raj Act.

Sources said the constitution of the Commission was necessitated as there was plethora of material before it for incorporation in the State Panchayati Raj Act. The Commission would scrutinize the material and place relevant data before the Government, they added.  Sources said the Government planned to hold elections to the BDCs after the amendments in the Panchayati Raj Act in budget session of the Legislature when reservations for SC/STs and women would be incorporated in the Panchayati Raj Act.

Worthwhile to mention here that the Government had in October last year announced elections to 143 Chairpersons of the BDC for November 7 without any reservations. Following concerns expressed by ruling coalition partner, Congress (I) and other political parties and organizations that BDC elections without reservations would be meaningless, the Government had cancelled the elections and decided to hold them after incorporating the provision of reservations.

Various political parties had been demanding implementation of 73rd amendment of the Constitution of India in Jammu and Kashmir for full empowerment of Panchayats but Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had refused to implement the Act. However, he had agreed to include major provisions of the Act in the State Panchayati Raj Act itself to strengthen the Panchayats.

Source: http://www.dailyexcelsior.com/web1/13jan26/news.htm#4