Shadow Correspondent
JAMMU, FEB 09:
Congress today took serious objections to be mode and manner the delimitation of wards in the Panchayats has been undertaken by the Govt. thus vitiating the atmosphere for a free , fair and transparent electoral exercise to the Panchayat bodies in the State.
Addressing a press Conference at Party HQ today Chief Spokesperson the party Mr. Ravinder Sharma besides General secretaries Vikram Malhotra & Th. Manmohan Singh took serious note of the arbitrary and hush-hush manner in which entire exercise has been undertaken by the government in the delimitation of wards and Panchayats etc in the run up to the elections to the Panchayat Bodies.
Sharma said while the PDP-BJP govt. has already diluted the spirit and authority of 73rd amendment by indirect election of sarpanchs from panchs and by not constituting the independent state election commission, the exercise under taken for delimitation of wards and panchayats in an arbitrary and hush- hush manner has led to great resentment amongst people in villages, as the same is being conducted through favoritism and on political consideration
It is worth mentioning that by virtue of Amendment to the State Panchayat Raj, the provision of 73rd amendment were incorporated on 14th March 2014, which apart from providing reservation of SC/STs and Women at each level from Panch, Sarpanch, Chairperson of blocks and district boards, also provide that the delimitation of wards/ Panchayats shall be conducted by the election Authority .
Earlier, Prior to amendment the election authority was chief electoral officer but now under amended act, the election authority is “State Election Commission”. Prior to amendment the delimitation of panchayats was the job of directors Rural development department but under the Act of 2014, the Sub(CC) to section 36(D) provided that the election commission shall determine and delimit the Halqa Panchayats.
