BJD ready to move Supreme Court over panchayat rights if needed: Naveen Patnaik
More than fifty chairpersons of panchayat samitis from across Odisha met BJD President and Leader of the Opposition (LoP) Naveen Patnaik at Naveen Niwas today.
Bhubaneswar: More than fifty chairpersons of panchayat samitis from across Odisha met BJD President and Leader of the Opposition (LoP) Naveen Patnaik at Naveen Niwas today.
During the meeting, the chairpersons of panchayat samitis drew Patnaik’s attention to what they described as the state government’s undemocratic decision to curtail the administrative and financial powers of elected panchayat representatives.
The BJD President strongly condemned the move, calling it an attack on the principles of democracy and decentralization. He reaffirmed that the Biju Janata Dal’s fight to safeguard the constitutional rights of elected panchayat representatives will continue.
“The matter is already under consideration in the Hon’ble High Court. If necessary, we will approach the Supreme Court to ensure justice and uphold the rights of grassroots representatives,” Patnaik assured the delegation.
During the interaction, several senior BJD leaders were present, including MLA Sarada Jena, Naba Mallick, former Minister Pratap Jena, and former MLAs Uma Samantaray and Prashant Muduli, among others.
