Excelsior Correspondent
SAMBA, Mar 19: Panches, Sarpanches and BDC Chairman of district Samba staged protest in front of DC office and demanded full implementation of 73rd Amendment of Jammu and Kashmir Panchayati Raj Act, 1989. Equal representation and powers to all stakeholders of the three- tier system should be implemented, they added.
Successive regimes of J&K have delayed and rejected the demand for implementation of these provisions on the pretext of Article 370 but it is unfortunate that even the present Government of J&K UT is being reluctant in implementing these important provisions for strengthening the urban and rural local bodies they said, while speaking to the media.
Previously in 2011, when Panchayat elections were held after a gap of 33 years in the State of Jammu and Kashmir we were demoralized and saddened by our experience as we were unable to fulfill our responsibilities due to 73rd Amendment of the Panchayati Raj Act, which advocates decentralized planning and gives more powers to Panchayats, was not applicable in J&K.
Recently on February 3rd , 2021 Union Minister of State for Home G. Kishan Reddy said in the Rajya Sabha that after the Constitutional changes and reorganization of the erstwhile State of Jammu and Kashmir, the Union Territory has been fully integrated into India’s mainstream and 3-tier system of grassroots level democracy has now been established there after Panchayati Raj elections.
However, they alleged the Center claim is not correct and it seems that present Government intentionally sidelined two tiers out of three by giving 200 crore to DDC members and just 71.25 crore for BDC and nothing for Panches and Sarpanches in current financial budget. They are more focused to empower one tier and ignoring others which will not going to fulfill the motive of this democratic system. “We are the most essential components who makes plan and then execute them on the ground. We also resolve issues facing the local population”.
Unfortunately, in JKUT this is not happening due to the lackadaisical attitude of the people at the helm. Bureaucrats continue to undermine the local bodies if equal rights and funds are not allocated to all tiers, they added.
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