Srinagar: Congress Party Friday said Panchayti Raj Minister is misleading people over the extension of the 73rd amendment of Indian constitution to the State.
National Conference Minister Ali Muhammad Sagar is trying to give it a new twist. Congress party is not demanding the extension of 73rd amendment but only demands some of best provisions should be incorporated into Jammu and Kashmir Panchayati Raj Act, Congress leader and Tourism Minister Ghulam Ahmed Mir told CNS on phone from Zanskar adding the demand of the Congress is in the interest of Panchayati Raj System.
He said that Sagar should not misinterpret anything which has been discussed already on the floor of the House. We demand amendment in State Panchayati Raj Act. Our only demand is that some of the best things of Indian Panchayati Raj Act should be incorporated so that Panchayati system could be made more viable, he said.
State Panchayati Raj Act authorizes a Block Development Officer to dismiss any Panchayat while our point is that higher authorities should be taken into confidence before dismissing any Panchayat on account of malpractices. This point is present in Indian Panchayat Raj System and the Congress party is of the view that such useful things should be accomodiated in State Panchayat Raj Act, Mir said adding that Sagar is harping on special status and misinterpreting the facts.
Pertinently, National Conference leader and minister for Rural Development Department and Panchayati Raj, Ali Muhammad Sagar, Thursday ruled out extension of the 73rd amendment of Indian constitution to the State stating that J&K has its own Panchayati Raj Act where almost all provisions of the 73rd amendment have been applied.