Almora: Almora Municipal Corporation councilors have expressed strong displeasure over the alleged failure to select members before the District Planning Committee meeting. The councilors stated that organizing the meeting without ensuring proper representation of elected municipal representatives goes against the spirit of democratic governance.
According to the councilors, the District Planning Committee meeting serves as an important platform where public issues, regional development works, and civic requirements are discussed and prioritized through elected representatives. They argued that without the participation of municipal representatives, the concerns of urban residents may not be effectively presented in the planning process.
The councilors referred to the 74th Constitutional Amendment of India, which aims to strengthen urban local bodies and ensure participation of elected representatives in planning and governance. They said that under the provisions of the District Planning Committee system, representation from municipal bodies is essential so that the developmental needs of each ward and urban area can be properly addressed.
They further stated that district planning meetings are not merely formal gatherings but play a crucial role in shaping the development roadmap of the district. Important issues related to roads, drinking water, sanitation, street lighting, healthcare, education, and public welfare are generally discussed during such meetings.
The councilors emphasized that they are directly elected by the public and remain closely connected to the problems faced by residents in their respective wards. Therefore, their participation in the District Planning Committee is necessary to ensure balanced and people-oriented development planning.
The councilors collectively demanded that members should be selected through a transparent process before convening the District Planning Committee meeting. They said that democratic institutions become stronger only when elected representatives are given meaningful participation in decision-making processes.
They also urged the administration to avoid such situations in the future and ensure that all constitutional and procedural norms are followed properly. According to them, sidelining elected representatives may weaken public trust in democratic institutions.
In this regard, the councilors appealed to Dhan Singh Rawat to intervene in the matter and ensure proper representation of municipal representatives in the district planning process.
Councilors Deepak Kumar, Anju Bisht, Vaibhav Pandey, Anoop Bharti, Intkhab Alam Qureshi, Pradeep Kumar, Kuldeep Mere, and Gunjan Singh Chamyal, along with other representatives, were present during the discussion and jointly raised their concerns regarding the issue.
