Salaries of Panchs and Sarpanchs Should Be Increased to ₹10,000 and ₹5,000 Per Month: Anil Sharma

 PRESS RELEASE

Salaries of Panchs and Sarpanchs Should Be Increased to ₹10,000 and ₹5,000 Per Month: Anil Sharma

27 June, Srinagar : All  Jammu And Kashmir Panchayat Conference (AJKPC) is registered premier organisation working for the strengthening of Grassroot level democracy 

All Jammu & Kashmir Panchayat Conference Demands Immediate Action from Government

A significant meeting of the All Jammu & Kashmir Panchayat Conference was held today in Srinagar. Addressing the meeting, President of the organisation Anil Sharma raised the demand for increasing the salaries of Panchs and Sarpanchs in Jammu & Kashmir.

Anil Sharma said that Jammu & Kashmir is an integral part of India and shares its border with Punjab. He stated that the Punjab Government has announced a salary of ₹10,000 per month for all Sarpanchs in Punjab. On the same lines, the Sarpanchs of Jammu & Kashmir should also be provided a salary of ₹10,000 per month and Panchs should be given a salary of ₹5,000 per month.

He said that there is now a need not just to increase the honorarium but to provide a proper salary to Panchs and Sarpanchs, as they play an important role at the grassroots level in resolving public issues and ensuring development works.

The President of the All Jammu & Kashmir Panchayat Conference said that for many years, big announcements have been made from various platforms that the Government of India’s funds are open for the people and Panchayats of Jammu & Kashmir, but the ground reality does not reflect this. It appears that the funds meant for the Panchayats have not reached them and the rights of Panchayat representatives are still pending.

He also demanded that all pending honorarium dues of Panches and Sarpanches in Jammu & Kashmir should be released at the earliest.

Anil Sharma said that strengthening Panchayats requires empowering Panches and Sarpanches financially. The Government should take immediate steps in this direction so that the Panchayat system in Jammu & Kashmir can function more effectively.

Issued by:

Anil Sharma

President

All Jammu & Kashmir Panchayat Conference

Continuous delay in Panchayati Raj Institution elections in Jammu & Kashmir is weakening grassroots democracy: Anil Sharma

 PRESS RELEASE

Continuous delay in Panchayati Raj Institution elections in Jammu & Kashmir is weakening grassroots democracy: Anil Sharma

18 june Jammu: All Jammu and Kashmir Panchayat Conference (AJKPC), a premier registered organisation working for the strengthening of grassroot level democracy in jammu and kashmir. Today President of All Jammu and Kashmir Panchayat Conference, Anil Sharma, expressed serious concern over the continuous delay in holding elections to Panchayati Raj Institutions in Jammu & Kashmir. He stated that on 9 January 2024, Panchayats were dissolved and simultaneously the second-tier institution, the Block Development Council (BDC), also ceased to function. Despite this, the necessary steps to conduct elections within a reasonable time frame were not initiated.

He said that it was the responsibility of the State Election Commission to begin the electoral process and preparatory exercise immediately after the dissolution of Panchayats. However, no such steps were taken. At that time, governance and administration in Jammu & Kashmir were under the authority of the Hon’ble Lieutenant Governor, and therefore questions naturally arise as to why timely preparations for elections were not undertaken.

Anil Sharma stated that later, the people of Jammu & Kashmir were informed that Assembly elections would be conducted first and that the elected government would subsequently hold Panchayati Raj Institution elections. The public trusted these assurances and waited. However, even after the Assembly elections, no concrete action was taken in this regard.

He further said that the administration later stated that after the completion of the term of the District Development Council (DDC) in February 2026, elections for Panchayats, BDCs, and DDCs would be conducted together. However, despite DDC institutions completing their term in February 2026, no clear election schedule has been announced till date.

Anil Sharma alleged that in the absence of elected Panchayati Raj Institutions, the role of the Gram Sabha has weakened and development funds meant for Panchayats, BDCs, and DDCs are increasingly becoming subject to political influence and centralized decision-making. He emphasized that the spirit and legal framework of Panchayati Raj Institutions must be respected and development activities should be carried out in accordance with grassroots democratic principles.

He said that there are now indications that elections may be held after the Amarnath Yatra, but public confidence on the issue has weakened due to repeated delays.

As President of the All Jammu and Kashmir Panchayat Conference, Anil Sharma announced that Panchayat representatives, BDC members, DDC stakeholders, and all those associated with Panchayati Raj Institutions would be brought together under one platform to democratically strengthen the demand for elections.

He demanded that:

1. Elections to Panchayati Raj Institutions in Jammu & Kashmir be announced without further delay.

2. Necessary delimitation of Panchayats and DDC territorial constituencies be completed before elections.

3. Provisions introduced in the Panchayati Raj framework that require review should be reconsidered.

4. The role of Gram Sabha and local self-governance should be strengthened.

5. Elections at all levels should be conducted promptly to restore democratic institutions.

Issued by:

Anil Sharma

President

All Jammu and Kashmir Panchayat Conference