By IANS,
Jammu: Jammu and Kashmir’s main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Sunday accused the Omar Abdullah government of “eroding the democratic institutions” by not holding civic polls in the state.
PDP patron and former chief minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, whose party is focusing on spreading its wings in the Jammu region, referred to the failure of the government in conducting the civic polls.
The polls to civic agencies and town area committees have not been held since February 2010. Earlier, the polls were held in 2004, after a gap of more than two decades.
“Why is the government shying away from polls and the panchayats which were elected this year are without powers, there are no proper panchayat ghars (buildings), and the sanctity of the legislative assembly has already been eroded,” Sayeed said while lashing out at the government at a public rally in the border town of Ranbirsinghpora, 30 km from Jammu.
Sayeed regretted that “instead of addressing aspirations of the people, the present regime headed by the National Conference has been brazenly indulging in gimmicks for its survival”.