Even as the Uttar Pradesh government is considering to impose two-child norm for the candidature in the three-tier panchayat polls, the state government on Tuesday sent a proposal to the Centre for amendment to the Constitution to make elections of chairman of district panchayat and block pramukh direct by the people.
At present, the chairman of district panchayat and block pramukh are elected in an indirect election by the elected members of the district panchayat and block development committee. The process of indirect elections is usually marred by charges of corruption, horse trading, intimidation and even abduction of the voters — the elected members.
Official sources said here on Tuesday that the Panchayati Raj Department had sent a proposal to the Centre for amendment in the Constitution to change the process of the election of the chairman of the district panchayat and the block Pramukh directly by the people.
According to the sources, the government wants to end horse-trading and the means of corruption employed by the candidates for winning the elections of district panchayat chairman and block pramukhs.
“If the proposal gets nod of the Centre with amendment to the panchayati raj system, then the electorate will get an opportunity to elect the chairman of the district panchayat and block pramukhs like they elect the gram pradhans,” said an official of the Panchayati Raj Department.