PIONEER NEWS SERVICE/ Dehradun
The leader of opposition in Vidhan Sabha, Yashpal Arya has said that after delaying the three tier Panchayat elections in the State for more than seven months the decision of the State government to conduct elections during monsoon period has put the life of people of the State in peril.
Arya said that the rivers and rivulets in the State are in spate in Uttarakhand due to heavy rainfall and reports of landslide and cloud bursts are coming from different regions of the State. Many major and link roads are blocked and bridges have collapsed. The connection of many villages with district headquarters has been cut off.
Arya said that holding elections at a time when monsoon would be at its peak is not a wise decision. He said that the tenure of Panchayats in the State had ended in September last year and the period between September to June is most suited to conduct elections. Questioning the rationale of holding elections during the most unsafe period the LoP said that the Congress was asking for holding the elections from October last year. Since the government was not in favour of holding the elections, it appointed administrators in Panchayats for a period of six months and wanted to extend their term for one year but the ordinance was rejected by the governor due to which the government was forced to conduct elections in monsoon, he said.
Arya said that in a healthy democracy the people are encouraged to participate in large numbers in elections. The government should answer as to how the candidates, 50 per cent of whom are women, will file nomination papers and seek votes from people when the roads are blocked due to Monsoon fury, he asked.
