PIONEER NEWS SERVICE/Dehradun
Panchayati Raj minister Satpal Maharaj said that the Panchayati Raj system is the foundation of democracy at the grassroots level in the country. He urged citizens to actively participate in the upcoming Panchayat elections and ensure the formation of a government of the village by electing honest and dedicated representatives. He informed that except for Haridwar, Panchayat elections in the remaining 12 districts will be held in two phases on July 24 and 28. Results will be declared on July 31.
Maharaj emphasised on the importance of choosing responsible representatives for the effective functioning of village governance. Maharaj said that a total of 63,812 candidates have filed nominations for various posts in the upcoming Panchayat elections. For 358 district Panchayat member seats, 1,907 nominations have been submitted. For 2,974 block Panchayat member posts, 11,629 nominations were received.
The post of Gram Pradhan received 22,028 nominations against 7,499 positions, while 28,248 nominations have been filed for 55,587 Gram Panchayat member posts. Maharaj said that this shows that rural citizens are aware of their rights and responsibilities. He said the State government has taken several measures to strengthen the Panchayati Raj system in Uttarakhand. Institutions like the Panchayati Raj directorate and district-level monitoring cells have been formed for effective tracking of development work.
The Panchayati Act passed in March 2008 increased women’s reservation in panchayats from 33 per cent to 50 per cent. Maharaj added that the State is working on transferring 29 subjects to Panchayats under the 73rd Constitutional Amendment. The Panchayati Raj department is focusing on building a robust three-tier system by ensuring financial support, transferring responsibilities, and enhancing human resources and capacity within Panchayats, he added.
