Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Feb 12: All Jammu and Kashmir Panchayat Conference (AJKPC) today urged both the Union government and the Union Territory Government to provide compensation and Government jobs to the families of Panches, Sarpanches and other Panchayati Raj Institution (PRI) members killed in militant attacks in Kashmir since 2011.
Addressing a one-day AJKPC convention in Bandipora district, the organisation’s president Anil Sharma called on the Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah, to formally acknowledge the sacrifices of the slain local representatives. He said the government should frame a clear and uniform policy to ensure relief, rehabilitation and employment support for their family members.
On Panchayat elections, Sharma said holding polls without fresh delimitation of Panchayat halqas and wards would be “a futile exercise”. He pointed to wide disparities in population and voter numbers across Panchayats, with some having around 2,000 voters and others nearly 4,000. “This creates injustice because funds are allocated equally to every Panchayat as a single unit, despite large differences in population,” he said.
Sharma also highlighted the role of rural and urban local bodies in nurturing political leadership. He cited former deputy chief minister and ex-Ladakh lieutenant governor Kavinder Gupta, who began his career as a municipal corporator. He added that several former Panches and Sarpanches have gone on to contest Assembly elections and become MLAs.
Praising the people of Kashmir, particularly the youth, Sharma said participation in local elections has increased over the years. He recalled a time when there were hardly any candidates for Panch and Sarpanch posts, and said the growing number of aspirants today reflects rising faith in democratic processes in Jammu and Kashmir.
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