Modi to address panchayati representatives in Jamshedpur amid shutdown call

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address a conference of panchayat representatives at Jamshedpur in Jharkhand on Sunday amid a shutdown called by the opposition Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) to protest the domicile policy and also against Modi using a corporate house stadium to address rural bodies representatives.

Around 3,000 Panchayati Raj representatives from across the country are expected to attend the conference at the Tata Sports Stadium, Jamshedpur, on Sunday.

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Along with them, Modi will address 2,58,000 gram sabhas of the country live through radio and Doordarshan.

According to a state government official, the campaign aims to generate nationwide efforts to strengthen Panchayati Raj, and through it increase social harmony across villages, promote rural development, and foster farmers' welfare and livelihoods of the poor.

The topics discussed in these gram sabhas are about gram panchayat development plans for local economic development, optimum utilization of funds available with panchayati raj institutions, clean drinking water and sanitation, role of women in villages, rural development and social inclusion.

Security has been beefed up in view of the prime minister's visit and programme.

The main opposition party of the state, the JMM has called a shutdown in Kolhan under which Jamshedour falls.

The JMM has called a shutdown on three issues: to oppose the Domicile Policy announced by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in the state; on a case related to elected panchayat in a scheduled area; and also that Modi will address panchayat representatives from the Tata Sports Complex, which belongs to a corporate house.

"Modi is using the Panchayati Raj system for corporate houses. Why is Modi not holding the programme at a government stadium? Modi wants to facilitate corporate houses in the state to set up industries," Supriyo Bhattacharya, JMM general secretary, told IANS.

The JMM will attempt to disrupt the prime minister's programme and stop the panchayat representatives. The district administration has made it clear that stern action will be taken if any problem is created during Modi's programme.