Srinagar, September 30
With the killing of sarpanches and empowerment of panchayats in the state likely to rock autumn session of J&K Assembly, the Speaker has rejected a private Bill which called for democratisation and empowerment of the panchayats in J&K.

The private member Bill was submitted by opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) through its MLAs Pirzada Mansoor and Rafi Ahmad Mir. However, before its consideration, it has been rejected by the Speaker, sources in the Assembly told The Tribune.

“The last date for submission of private member Bills was September 10. However, the Bill on devolution of more powers to the sarpanches and panches was submitted by the PDP MLAs eight days after the last date on September 18,” Assembly sources said.

“As the Bill was submitted late, the Speaker rejected it”, the sources added.

There are 55 private member Bills pending for introduction into the Assembly from previous sessions, sources said, adding that many of these Bills are related to amendments to the Panchayati Raj Act. “But given the short duration of the autumn session of the Assembly, it is unlikely that all the Bills will be introduced in the current session,” an Assembly official said.

The ruling National Conference and the Congress are at loggerheads over the empowerment of the panchayats in the state.

While the Congress has been insisting for implementing the 73rd amendment for completing the empowerment of pachayats, its coalition partner in the government, the NC, has been resisting the move, maintaining that “the spirit of the amendment had already been incorporated in the state's Panchayati Raj Act of 1989.”

Besides, following the recent killings of panchayat members in north Kashmir, state Congress president Saif-ud-Din Soz had hinted that it (Congress) may support PDP’s Bill for empowerment of the pachayats after studying it. The PDP is likely to raise the issue in the Assembly.

Commenting on the rejection of its Bill on the panchayats, the PDP has hinted that it would protest the stalling of the Bill by “employing all democratic means, both inside and outside the Assembly.”

“According to our MLAs, they had submitted the Bill in due time. They have a proper receipt,” PDP spokesman Naeem Akhter told The Tribune.