HUBLI: The State Government may amend the Panchayat Raj institutions to make them more effective, Law Minister H.K. Patil said here on Tuesday.

Mr. Patil told presspersons that in the light of zilla panchayats facing difficulty in holding general body meetings in the absence of MLAs, the State Government may amend the Act.

Mr. Patil said many issues mentioned in the Belur Declaration of the Congress have been taken care of and in 29 departments reforms have been initiated. Mr. Patil, who is a member of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee Campaign and Coordination Committee of Belgaum Division, said the Congress is responsible for the changes seen in the Panchayat Raj institutions. Elaborating on measures taken by the Congress to strengthen the Panchayat Raj institutions, he was confident that his party will win in 20 zilla panchayats in the State. The Bharatiya Janata Party is the main opponent for the Congress, he said. The BJP members have no moral right to contest in these elections because they opposed amendments to the Panchayat Raj Act. To a question, the Minister said: "We are not overconfident. We know the realities." He made it clear that the results of the election will have no bearing on the coalition.

Prakash Rathod, member of the Belgaum Division Committee, said the Congress has fielded the party candidates in 264 zilla panchayat constituencies and 590 taluk panchayat constituencies in Belgaum division, which comprises Belgaum, Dharwad, Uttar Kannada, Gadag, Haveri, Bijapur and Bagalkot districts.

He said only in one taluk panchayat constituency (Devarahipparagi in Bijapur district) the party doesn't have its official candidates as the nomination of a party's candidate was rejected on technical grounds. But the party is not supporting any other candidate in that constituency, he said. The observers of the party, S.R. More, A.M. Hindasageri, Roshan Baig, and Amar Vasanthrao Patil, were present.

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