The State Cabinet’s move to enhance the financial powers of Block Development Officers (BDOs) in Panchayat Samitis, raising their bill approval limit without countersignature from Rs 2 lakh to Rs 10 lakh has elicited sharp reaction from Biju Janata Dal (BJD), with the regional party describing it as a ploy to usurp the powers of elected representatives at the grass roots.
Denouncing the Cabinet decision as undemocratic and unconstitutional, MLA Arun Kumar Sahoo and Party Vice President and State Senior Media Coordinator Pratap Jena charged that the BJP Government with attempting to undermine the panchayati raj institutions by eroding the authority of elected representatives.
Claiming that during the tenure of the Naveen Patnaik Government, Panchayat Samitis had been significantly empowered to strengthen grassroots democracy, the senior BJD leaders said, “This move is nothing short of a direct assault on the three-tier Panchayati Raj system”.
The BJD leaders further pointed out that earlier, any bill exceeding Rs 2 lakh required the countersignature of the Panchayat Samiti Chairman. However, under the new rule, bills up to Rs 10 lakh can now be approved solely with the BDO’s signature.
”Since most works executed by Panchayat Samitis fall within this bracket, the change effectively sidelines Panchayat Samiti Chairpersons. By stripping elected representatives of their powers, the Government has dealt a severe blow to democracy itself. This is in clear violation of the Constitution, which mandates that Panchayat Samitis function under the stewardship of elected representatives,” they added.
Describing it as a politically motivated move to target Panchayat Samitis because the majority of chairpersons belong to the BJD, they alleged that the BJP government has deliberately curtailed their powers to impose bureaucratic dominance.
Ironically, the same BJP that once opposed ‘Babu Raj’ is now actively promoting it, they alleged.
The very essence of the three-tier Panchayati Raj system lies in the decentralisation of power to the grassroots level. By exerting BDOs under political pressure and control, BJP leaders intend to misuse them as instruments for PC (percentage commission) collection in Panchayat-level works. This is a regressive and dangerous move, they further claimed.
Demanding its immediate and unconditional withdrawal, the BJD leaders threatened that if the government fails to revoke the decision, the BJD will mobilise Block Chairpersons, Panchayat Samiti Members, and Sarpanches across the State to hit the streets.