Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Aug 24: The All Jammu and Kashmir Panchayat Conference (AJKPC) today slammed the Narendra Modi Government for “failing” to release over Rs 200 crore MGNREGA payment to the State Government, which it alleged has adversely affected the State Panchayati Raj System.
“The BJP Government at Centre has failed to address the grievances of 33,000 Panchayat members of State. It also has failed to clear over Rs 200 crore MGNREGA payment to the State Government hitting Panchayati Raj System,” AJKPC president, Anil Sharma told reporters here.
Sharma questioned BJP’s silence on issues related to the Panchayati Raj system in the State. He alleged that the Union Government has “failed” to clear MGNREGA payment despite submission of necessary documents.
The AJKPC president claimed that the MGNREGA workers from Jammu region are yet to receive their wages amounting to Rs 160 crore, besides Rs 40 crore against cost of the material used for projects under MGNREGA.
“Before Lok Sabha elections all senior leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visits to Jammu in his campaigns had raised the issue several times but it is surprising that after May 26 they have turned a blind eye and deaf ear to the problems being faced by the rural people and Panchayat members,” he said.
The chief of AJKPC Women Wing, Bimla Devi asked the BJP Government to address the genuine grievances of the elected members of the Panchayats including their security.
She said, “Elsewhere in the country, elected panchayat members are confined only with regard to developmental issues but here in the State we are faced with a double edge sword. On one hand anti-national elements force us to resign from our posts and on the other hand discriminatory and casual approach of the Government makes things more difficult for us.”
Gautam Singh Jamwal, provincial president, AJKPC, demanded an economical package exclusively for Panchayat Development on the pattern of MPLAD and Constituency Development Fund, for 4000 Panchayats of the State.
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