The Haryana unit of the CPI(M) has decided to field candidates for the ensuing elections to the zila parishads and panchayat samitis.
State Secretary Inderjit Singh told The Hindu on Monday that the CPI (M) would appeal to the electorate to exercise their mandate in favour of the party nominees.
The main plank would be financial and administrative decentralisation of the Panchayati Raj institutions and creation of conditions for independent participation of women and Scheduled Castes elected representatives in accordance with the 73rd and 74th Constitutional amendments, he added.
“The thrust of the campaign will be on socio- economic issues like NREGA, public health, education, public transport, residential plots, public distribution system, education and health apart from social justice, curbing corruption, problem of alcoholism and drug addiction, restoration of illegally occupied panchayat lands and so on''.
Significantly, the CPI (M) would also seek control over self- styled panchayats which was an impediment in the free functioning of elected panchayat bodies.
Expressing concern over increasing efforts of retrograde forces towards caste polarisation in the State with the help of political patronage, he asserted that all those claiming to be panchayatis and community elders should involve all stake holders for sharing social issues with patience, passion and dignity. “There should be no recourse to threats, intimidation, social boycott or defending killings,'' he said.
Reiterating the CPI (M) stand that same gotra (caste/sub-caste) marriages were not prevalent in Haryana, he further said that the “same were being made an issue in order to divert the attention of the people from the real socio -economic problems.''
