CHANDIGARH: The Punjab chief minister Beant Singh has backtracked from his oft-repeated promise to hold panchayat elections by the end of the year.
The postponement of the panchayat elections can be understood in view of the hike in bus tires and power tariff. The government knew this would affect its popularity but it had no choice with the Center directing the state to mobilize additional resources.
A number of ministers in the Beant Singh government felt that the hike in tariffs should be effected after the panchayat election to avoid public criticism especially from the agriculturists But the Centers directive forced the governments hand Statements by the irrigation and power minister Harcharan Singh Brar flaying the hike in power tariff for the agriculture sector left the government with no option but to out the panchayat elections.
Though Beant Singh still insists that his government intend to hold the elections before the budget session he is not sure whether he would be able to do so if he as he has other problems to face as well.
Beant Singh is also dithering on his move to revive the council of ministers. He had announced that his government would bring in a Bill to this effect in the winter session of the assembly but now he does not seem so enthusiastic about it. He maintained that the revival of the second chamber was his personal opinion shared by a few of his cabinet colleagues.
Even the winter session of the assembly which was originally planned for a week from November 23 has been postponed to the end of December or the first week of January. Moreover instead of a weeklong session it is likely to be for just two days. The governments plea is that the assembly would be meeting again soon for the budget session. The winter session would only be a formality to meet the constitutional requirement according to insiders
Article extracted from this publication >> November 20, 1992
