Non-cooperation of bureaucrats being held responsible
*Representatives allege lack of clarity on several aspects
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Dec 27: About 50% Gram Panchayats in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir have yet not prepared the Development Plan for the current financial year, which is about to end in next three months, mainly because of lack of cooperation from the Rural Development Department and absence of clarity on several important aspects.
As per the Panchayati Raj Act, every Panchayat is required to prepare the plan for the development of Halqa in consultation with Halqa Majlis for timely submission to the Block Development Council for consolidation and then the Block Development Council is supposed to place the same before the District Development Council for approval and subsequent release of funds by the Government.
As per the data of Union Ministry of Panchayati Raj, as against total 4291 Panchayats in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, only 2013 have prepared and uploaded the Gram Panchayat Development Plan for the Financial Year 2021-22 as on December 16, 2021 while as the same from remaining Panchayats is awaited.
“The inordinate delay in the preparation of Gram Panchayat Development Plan is notwithstanding the fact that Union Ministry is continuously directing the Governments of States and Union Territories for taking initiatives to bring improvement in the exercise of planning at Gram Panchayat level based on the feedbacks received in the preparation and implementation of plans to make it more comprehensive, inclusive and holistic”, official sources told EXCELSIOR.
The Union Ministry data has further projected the dismal scenario vis-à-vis total number of activities planned for the villages and number of activities completed during the current financial year in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
“In the absence of Gram Panchayat Development Plan in respect of about 50% Panchayats how the Government of Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir will transform the developmental profile of the rural areas remains a million dollar question”, sources said, adding “the inordinate delay in the preparation of Gram Panchayat Development Plans is being attributed to lack of support from the field functionaries of the Rural Development Department and lack of clarity on several important aspects from the Government”.
“Further, in the absence of Gram Panchayat Development Plans in respect of about 50% Panchayats there are remote chances of the utilization of funds being released by the Union Government”, sources further said, adding “it is really a matter of serious concern that while Union Government is laying thrust on execution of works strictly as per the approved Gram Panchayat Development Plans the document has not been prepared in respect of such a large number of Panchayats”.
Several representatives of Panchayats, when approached by EXCELSIOR, alleged non-cooperation of the Rural Development Department and said, “we are not being guided properly by the field functionaries of the department on the planning aspect otherwise we would have prepared Gram Panchayat Development Plans within few months after the start of current financial year”.
President of All J&K Panchayat Conference Anil Sharma admitted that Panchayats have been facing difficulties in preparation of Gram Panchayat Development Plans. “Some bureaucrats and entire political leadership don’t want planning to be done at Panchayat level that is why no assistance is being provided to us”, he alleged.
“The elected representatives should have been provided proper training in the preparation of development plans but not much efforts have been made in this regard by the Department of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj”, he further said and claimed that even plan ceilings have not been conveyed to the Panchayats by the Government.
“While Government of India wants proper planning and execution of works through the Panchayats the situation is contrary in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and unless proper assistance and cooperation is extended to grass root level democratic institutions the developmental profile of the rural areas cannot be changed as per the vision of the Union Government”, the President of the Panchayat Conference said.
He hoped that Lieutenant Governor would intervene and pass clear directions to the Rural Development Department to extent all possible assistance to the Panchayats in achieving the mandate of the Panchayati Raj Act.
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