Calcutta, March 25: The cabinet today deferred a decision on a proposed rule to make panchayat approval mandatory for initiating development projects or acquiring land.

Some ministers felt the rule would make it look like the Left Front was following in the footsteps of Rajiv Gandhi, who had introduced decentralisation of the administration at the panchayat level in the late 1980s.

Following the objections, the chief minister was quoted as saying: “We should discuss the matter threadbare before arriving at a decision.”

Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee reportedly said that framing the rule less than two months before the panchayat polls would provide a fillip to the Opposition campaign.

Panchayat minister Surjya Kanta Mishra wanted the rule without delay.

Rajya Sabha polls

Mamata Banerjee’s new partner, the SUCI, will abstain from the Rajya Sabha elections tomorrow, making the defeat of her candidate more humiliating. The CPM and the Congress have joined hands to ensure the victory of Independent candidate A.S. Malihabadi.