The Punjab council of ministers has cleared the proposal to reserve 70 per cent of the seats in the panchayat samitis for panches and sarpanches leaving only 30 per cent members for direct elections.

CPI state secretary Joginder Dayal and its Legislature Party leader Hardev Arshi said it only reflected deep sense of desperation and frustration among the Akali leadership after the Lok Sabha elections.

They called upon the Governor not to give his approval to the ordinance to be issued to amend the Act for this purpose. The CPI is consulting legal experts to challenge the proposed amendment in the court.

The CPI has also criticised the decision to reduce the number of members of the panchayat samiti. The party apprehends that the state government might create zones for reserve seats favourable to the Akali Dal with about nine sarpanches electing one samiti member.

These leaders said the entire exercise would reduce the panchayati raj to a farce which would be against the spirit of 75th Amendment.