CHANDIGARH: Factional politics in the Punjab Congress I has held up the formation of the district, development and grievance redressel committees in the state.
The tussle between the rival PCGI factions for getting their own followers nominated on the committees had forced the party’s Central leadership to intervene. But even it has not so far been able to reconcile the claims of the rival factions and draw a common list of party nominees, although all other parties in the state have already communicated to the Government the name of their party men for those committees.
Formation of the committees at the district and sub divisional levels was announced as a part of the Punjab package by the Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi in Parliament on March 3 last.
The district development and grievance removal committees are intended to provide a forum in the absence of the state assembly to the people’s representatives in the districts to tackle the problems facing the people. These are to replace different committees existing in the district which have virtually become defunct.
The new committees are proposed to have around 20 members in each district. Of them 60 percent will be the representatives of the political parties and 40 percent professionals and other public men. While the government had asked the state units of different political parties to send a panel of three or four nominees for each district the deputy commissioners were asked to recommend the names of professionals and public men in their respective districts.
Most other parties sent their lists to the Government without generating any controversy in their ranks, This was, however, not the case with the Congress I.
Article extracted from this publication >> May 5, 1989
