*Control rampant corruption in RDD
Excelsior Correspondent
RAMBAN, July 7: Seeking immediate clearance of MGNREGA liabilities, All Jammu and Kashmir Panchayat Conference (AJKPC), a frontline organisation of elected Panchayat members today strongly criticized the administration for not taking elected BDCs, Sarpanchs and Panches into confidence while finalizing development plans in rural areas.
The AJKPC also censured the officers for not giving due respect and protocol to BDCs and Sarpanchs which has downgraded the real spirit of Panchayati Raj Act in Jammu and Kashmir.
“The elected Sarpanches and Panches and even BDCs have complained that the officers at district level don’t take them on board while finalizing development activities in rural areas. They also don’t accord the protocol to which they are entitled for under the Act. It defeats the basic purpose of Panchayati Raj Act in true sense,” Anil Sharma, president of AJKPC said while addressing a meeting of Pachayat members at Ramban.
The meeting was organised by the district president AJKPC Ramban Mohd Iqbal Katoch.
Sharma said the Panchayat also complained of corruption in Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Department who even claimed that no development work could be executed and completed without greasing the palms of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Department.
“We urge the Lieutenant Governor, G C Murmu, and other senior officers of the UT administration to seriously look into the issue and take immediate remedial measures so that the money meant for development activities is utilized on ground,” Sharma said.
He also appealed to Jammu and Kashmir government to clear liability worth of Rs 1,000 crore of MGNREGA works for financial years 2016-17 to 2019-20. He also urged the Lt Governor to control rampant corruption in RDD.
“An amount worth over Rs 1000 crore is liability on the J&K Government but only delaying tactics are adopted by the officers sitting in the Civil Secretariat,” the AJKPC leader said.
Earlier, AJKPC district president Mohd Iqbal Katoch welcomed the UT president of the organisation Anil Sharma and other elected Panchayat members. He highlighted the various issues concerning the empowerment of Panchayat members.
Prominent among those who spoke on the occasion included BDC chairman Karleep Singh Bali and Sarpanchs Mehraj Khan, Zulikha Baigum, Sanaulla Nayak, Tanveer Ahmed Tanveer, Kheem Raj and Jiya Lal.
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