HATSINGIMARI, Oct 25 � The panchayat presidents under the All Assam Panchayat President Coordination Committee have expressed deep concern over the non-fulfillment of their long-pending demands.
In a press meet at Hatsingimari Press Club, Hem Baruah, general secretary, All Assam Panchayat President Coordination Committee, stated that the government has been showing an indifferent attitude towards the genuine demands of the panchayat presidents of the State.
Baruah alleged that though it was declared that 29 departments of the government would be handled by the panchayat authorities, but till date not a single department has been solely handed over to the panchayats.
Baruah further alleged that the existing BPL list is not free from faults and a large number of deserving poor families have been excluded from it. The panchayat body demanded that another BPL list be prepared immediately as the existing list was prepared under the influence of politicians.
The panchayat president body also demanded that the Government should take steps to release funds to the gaon panchayats under the NREGA scheme so that the registered job card holders can be given 100 days of work smoothly. In this connection, Baruah alleged that the NREGA fund is not released in time by the DRDA and as a result, the schemes cannot be completed within the financial year.
Taking the example of Dhubri district, Baruah said that the NREGA fund for the year 2008-09 is yet to be released in this district. Hence even 40 per cent development work has not been done in Dhubri district in comparison to other districts of the State.
The GPP body strongly demanded adoption of a salary system for the panchayat representatives like that of MLAs and MPs as they are also elected by voters and perform the same type of functions. The body also demanded that the salary amount should be sanctioned through the Budget in Assembly. In this connection, one of the district presidents present on the occasion admitted that corruption cannot be controlled till salaries are not given to panchayat representatives asthe MPs and MLAs.
The body demanded an inquiry into the matter of ration cards under the samabai samities where a large number of false ration cards exist where GP presidents were instructed to put signature in the dealer�s register books but authorities concerned do not give importance to the signature.
The presidents� body further demanded that the DRDA, the sanctioning authority, should maintain the priority of schemes which are submitted by the GP selected by the gaon sabha meeting. It is alleged that the DRDA authority whimsically accept the schemes without a priority list and release the funds which creates anomalies in executing the work.
The presidents� body also demanded to cancel the impeachment system against the president as in such a system, the democratic rights of a citizen is violated because the presidents are elected directly by the voters. Hence the GP members should have no right to dethrone a president. The State-level presidents� body declared that if the government fails to respond to these demands, the body will soon start a democratic movement.
