JAMMU: The JKPCC chief, Ghulam Ahmed Mir has said that the 73rd & 74th Amendment was the triggest gift of the Congress Party especially, former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi to the Country and people at grass root levels and the party shall celebrate the historical initiative as ‘National Panchayati Raj Day’ on April 24.
The Congress shall remember the historical initiative of the Congress party under the Prime Ministership of Rajiv Gandhi, to introduce the 73rd Amendment of the Constitution, implemented on April 24, 1993, as National Panchayati Raj Day. Addressing a party meeting here, Mir claimed that event shall be observed to remind the people and the PRI representatives about the historical initiative of Rajiv Gandhi whereby, the women got 33% reservation while SCs and STs reservation in all three tiers of PRIs. Mir said that the bill to amend the constitution in this regard to fully empower Panchayats in the Country and to give 33% reservation to women besides SCs/STs was introduced in 1989 by Late Rajiv Gandhi. Later, it was passed in 1992 while the same was implemented on April 24, 1993 while 74th amendment was implemented on 1st June, 1993.
Today the entire Panchayati Raj System in the Country is the result of the 73rd & 74th amendment of the constitution giving constitutional status to the Panchayats besides giving due reservation to women, and downtrodden sections,” he added. PCC chief asked the party leaders including former ministers, legislators, AICC/PCC members, frontal wings and DCC/BCC units to observe this day in restricted manner in view of the Covid-19 advisories.
Prominent among those present in the meeting included Mula Ram, Raman Bhalla, Kanta Bhan, Ravinder Sharma, Rajnish Sharma, Manmohan Singh, Ashok Sharma, Shiv Dev Singh, Mahila Cong chief Indu Pawar, Ashok Dogra, Shabir Ahmed Khan, KC Bhagat, Hari Singh Chib, Sheikh Majeeb; PYC president Udhey Bhanu, NSUI chief Sunny Parihar, Pawan Raina, Suresh Dogra, Vinod Sharma, Shashi Sharma, Sanjeev Panda, Manjit Singh Jatt, Nadeem S Niaz, KL Gupta and others.
