Call for local body polls in Puducherry

Lauding Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa for  enhancing the reservation for women in local bodies from 33 to 50 percent in the state , former Lok Sabha member from Puducherry Prof. M. Ramadass  said when democratic decentralisation gets a leap forward in a State like Tamil Nadu,  the grassroot democracy is in a suspended animation in the Union Territory of Puducherry, leave alone 50 per cent reservation, primarily  due to the personal aversion of the chief minister towards local bodies. 

In a statement here on Sunday, Prof.Ramadass said Jayalalithaa had indeed brought a silent revolution by conferring political rights on women to secure their ultimate social and economic rights for their development. By ensuring equal representation to women in proportion to population size, the Chief Minister has firmly established the canon of social justice in Tamil soil

All social activists who cherish grassroot democracy and women empowerment and progress would heartily congratulate the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu for this outstanding gesture, he added. Prof. Ramadass said the elections to local bodies in the UT were not conducted for 38 years since 1968. 

Thanks to the intervention of the court and the Parliament, elections were held in 2006 and 1094 representatives were in place in the rural and urban local institutions. But the Government of Puducherry headed by the present Chief Minister, in an effort to cripple their functioning, did not recognise them by devolving functions, functionaries and funds to Panchayats and Municipalities as contemplated by the 73rd and 74th Constitutional amendments. 

Since the elected local bodies are not in place, the Government of Puducherry is denied local body finance provided by the Centre and the Finance Commission as in the case of other States of India which has undoubtedly affected local development Ramadass said that Puducherry might lose the opportunity of a Smart City if the Ministry of Urban Affairs comes to know of the non-existence of elected local body in the Union Territory and the Chief Minister would have to bear the responsibility for all these consequences.