As the process of decentralisation of power is growing rapidly throughout the country, the Punjab Govt. has decided to reduce the number of directed elected representatives in panchayet. The state secretariat of the Punjab state committee of the CPI(M) has strongly condemned the proposed amendment to the Punjab Panchayat Raj Samiti Act 1994. The amendment will be made by Badal government through an ordinance by which percentage of directly elected samiti members while reduced from 40% to 30% and percentage of indirectly elected by the sarpanches will be increased from 60% to 70%. This amendment will reduce the total number of directly elected members from existing 10 to 15 in a panchayat samiti by three to five.

Expressing shock and grief over bomb blast in train near Pathankot in which 14 were killed and many dozen injured, the state secretariat observed that this most condemnable cowardly action is the handiwork of anti-national forces, supported from across the border who wants to disturb peace and threaten unity and integrity of India . The secretariat strongly demanded of the Badal government that while taking firm administrative measures to effectively curb the activities of these anti-national forces, it should also take urgent initiatives to solve those issue like transfer of Chandigarh to Punjab, river water dispute and territorial dispute solved so that peace in Punjab can be made durable. It will be noted that these very issues formed the basis of the Punjab problem.