SRINAGAR: The heir-apparent of India’s ruling Congress, on a two day visit to Jammu and Kashmir, has called for more decentralisation within the party.
He said the party leaders should consult Block level workers before making nominations for the forthcoming Parliamentary and Assembly elections as “they were the ones in constant touch with the people.”
Mr Gandhi said there were complaints against Congress ministers that they were not giving ear to the party workers.
“I want to tell them that they (workers) are your party and you have to listen to them. If you don’t, then you will face problems when the tickets are distributed,” he said during a rally of workers at the party headquarters in Kashmir capital Srinagar.
The Congress Vice President said most of the workers told him that they were not consulted when tickets were distributed during the last elections.
“See, only those who are in touch with the people will get tickets, those who fight for their issues…not to those who come through helicopters,” he added.
I want to tell them that they (workers) are your party and you have to listen to them. If you don’t, then you will face problems when the tickets are distributed
Mr Gandhi earlier interacted with women in the Central district of Budgam where he had, during his last visit, launched UMEED – an amibitious scheme for women’s empowerment.
In the morning he inaugurated an apple storage facility at Pulwama in south Kashmir. Speaking there, the Congress leader also called for more devolution of powers in the administration.
Reiterating the need for empowering Panchayats in Jammu and Kashmir, Mr Gandhi said he has been working in the country to make Panchayats “powerful enough to handle financial and developmental activities at the grass roots.”
Citing an example, he said only “ten or twenty persons” were handling the administrative affairs in Uttar Pradesh state.
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“Instead of a small group of people running the functioning of the government by, we endeavour to make lower level public representatives empowered enough to be part in the governance at various levels.”
He also stressed on early holding of Block and District Council elections and expressed hope that the reservation issue would be settled as soon as possible.
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