APCC welcomes SC ruling

ITANAGAR, Mar 16: Arunachal Pradesh Congress Committee has welcomed the Supreme Court’s ruling upholding the Special Leave Petition (SLP) that has stayed the March 19, 2013 decree by a Divisional Bench of Gauhati High Court in the issue of inclusion of Chamkas and Hajongs in the electoral roll and their citizenship.

“The APCC wants to know from the Pema Khandu government if making the Panchayati Raj Institution two-tier after three elections in the state is reformation of PRI or a bid to grab the independent power of elected Panchayat leaders by the legislators,” APCC Vice President Minkir Lollen said in a statement on Friday.

The Congress, he said, was of the view that powers delegated in the three-tier PRI would be withdrawn.

“The APCC seriously feels that reformation in municipal (urban) area is the need of the hour for development of the urban areas. Will the power conferred to the municipal earlier continue or will be changed after reforms?” Lollen said.

Urging the state government to conduct the Panchayat and municipal elections within schedule, the APCC welcomed the Money Lending and Land Bill but wondered if these will be implemented in a transparent manner.