Jaipur: A delegation of village heads met rural dvelopment minister Kirori Lal Meena on Saturday, and submitted a memorandum demanding either timely panchayat elections or an extension of the current representatives' terms. They also strongly opposed the appointment of administrators, stating that it was unacceptable under any circumstances.
Meena assured them that he would discuss their concerns with CM Bhajan Lal Sharma to seek a resolution.
The sarpanches also decided to escalate their demands with a state-wide gathering in Jaipur on Dec 6. "If the demands are not met, we will decide on the agitation on Dec 6. We may also meet the CM on the same day. The terms of many panchayats are ending on Jan 17," said Bansidhar Gadhwal, president, Sarpanch Sangh.
The memorandum criticised delays in implementing the ‘One State, One Election' policy, which could postpone elections. "In such a situation, the govt should not appoint administrators in the panchayats and other institutions. It should instead assign the responsibilities to the elected representatives and heads of the Panchayati Raj institutions," the memorandum read.
Financial grievances were also raised, with the village heads alleging that the state had not released finance commission and NREGA funds to panchayats for two years. They urged the state and central govts to disburse pending budgets promptly to ensure panchayats' smooth functioning. tnn