Shimla, Dec 18,
Aiming to address the challenges posed by the difficult geographical conditions and administrative issues in Himachal Pradesh, the State government has introduced a bill to amend the Himachal Pradesh Panchayati Raj Act, 1994.
The bill, presented by the state’s Rural Development Minister, Anirudh Singh, seeks to modify the provisions of the Act that govern the election of members to the Zila Parishad, the local governing body for districts.
Under the current provision of the Act, section 89(2), the number of elected members for each Zila Parishad is based on a ratio of one member for every 25,000 people or part thereof in a district. However, this provision fails to consider the state’s unique challenges, such as difficult terrain, limited transportation infrastructure, and communication difficulties. These challenges make it difficult to form territorial constituencies that meet the prescribed population criteria.
To address this issue, the proposed amendment seeks to empower the state government to notify territorial constituencies for backward Gram Panchayats that have populations of less than 25,000. The amendment will enable the government to take into account the geographical location, lack of transportation and communication facilities, and administrative convenience while establishing these constituencies.
The state government feels that this change will ensure that even the more remote and less populated areas are adequately represented in the Zila Parishad, ensuring greater inclusivity in local governance.
The bill, if passed, will help streamline the election process in Himachal Pradesh’s rural and hilly areas, ensuring that local governance is more responsive to the specific needs and challenges of each constituency.
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