AJKPC Demands of Implementation of 73rd
Amendment before Panchayat Election
AJKPC Demands Budgetary Allocation of Funds for
Panchayat's
Jammu, 26/Dec/207:
With the state
government proposing to hold delayed Panchayat polls from February 15, All Jammu and
Kashmir Panchayat Conference, (AJKPC) today demanded equal budgetary allocation
of special funds exclusively for each Panchayat ward to ensure balanced development
and end the voices of discrimination.
All Jammu and Kashmir
Panchayat Conference has demanded implementation of 73rd amendment
of Indian Constitution regarding Panchayati raj in the state of Jammu and
Kashmir before conducting Panchayat elections in the state of Jammu and
Kashmir. It is pertinent to mention here that JK government has announced to
hold Panchayat elections in state in the month of February 2018 which were due
for the past one and half year.
An emergency meeting
of ex Panchayat members held at Jammu today discussed the issue in detail and
threatened to protest against the state government which weakened
democratic institutions in the state. Speaking on the occasion, president AJKPC
Anil Sharma said that they will protest against state government for its denial
to extend 73rd amendment in the state of Jammu and Kashmir. Sharma
said that such elections are just a drama of the state government to get the
central funds release but it will not serve any purpose to the people of the
state. Threatening to launch an agitation against the state government the
Panchayat leaders said that they will not accept such dramas of Govt. and fight
for the real Panchayati Raj as in other states of the country.
Addressing a press
conference here, Anil Sharma, president of the organization urged the Centre
particularly Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Finance Minister Arun
Jaitley, and the state Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti to allocate special funds
of Rs 10 lakh each exclusively to be used by each Panchayat ward to meet
the local demands and ensure involvement of all stakeholders in development
activity.
Sharma said as the
State government have hinted to hold Panchayat elections soon therefore it
would be in the best interest of the people of the state if budgetary
provisions is made for allocation of funds for each panchayat ward separately.
The AJKPC president
demanded minimum Rs. 10 Lac for each ward of the Panchayats which should be
exclusively utilized only on the recommendations of the 25% of total voters in
a Panchayat ward who will be the part of suggested ward Sabha.
Sharma said these
funds should be directly transferred in the accounts of the respective
Panchayats so that there is no room left for corruption by the officers at
different levels right from the secretariat to Block Level.
The AJKPC leader said
as both coalition partners of the state government always orchestrate loudly
about devolution of power and giving more autonomy to the local self governance
institutions therefore we find no reason for not accepting our demand of
budgetary allocation of special funds for Panchayat ward separately.
He also raised the
issue of improper implementation of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment
Guarantee Act in the state, which calls for providing minimum 100 days
guaranteed employment to the registered MGNREGA Card holders and time bound
payment of their wages and blamed the corrupt officers of the Rural development
department for not providing 100 days job to the card holders and also withholding
their wages for months together.
Sharma said the
Finance Minister should made provisions in the budget so that poor MGNREGA
labours do not suffer for want of funds. He also demanded increase in daily
wage rate minimum of Rs. 300/ day.
He informed that as
compared to other states of the country, Jammu and Kashmir is amongst the
states that gives minimum wages to the MGNREGA labours.
The state government
should also appoint adequate number of Ombudsmen to resolve the genuine
grievances of the MGNREGA labours because as per the provisions of the law,
there should be Ombudsmen at local level so that the villagers need not to
knock the doors of the regular courts and pay hefty legal fees.
On the issue of lack
of transparency in allocation of funds under MGNREGA in the state, he said as
per the provisions of the law and directions issued by the government of India
time to time the state government have been several times asked to conduct
social audits of the works done under the act.
AJKPC President
also raised the issue of families of the martyr Panchayat members who have not
been provided any compensation and urged the state government to provide
government jobs to the next of the kin of the deceased Panchayat members.
S/Sh. Gautam Singh
Jamwal, Raj Kumar, Ram Pal Sharma, Yash Pal Singh Charak, Ashwani Sharma, Mohd.
Sadiq, Ajeet Singh Charak, Kant Kumar Sharma, Vijay Tagotra and others.
