Sir,
This has reference to the Sunday Magazine article ‘Disempowered Panchayats of J&K’ DE May 22. The author has focussed on almost all aspects of the problem, the Panchayati Raj institutions in the State suffer with. Almost every stakeholder connected with it is responsible for the present positions of the Panchayats.
It is quite disturbing that the institution which were supposed to bring not only democracy at grass root level, but also socio-economic change in rural areas have been callously neglected by the Government and its machinery. The political class in the State is not ready to devolve powers to these institutions.
The PRIs in the State if not revived on time, will die a slow death, and it will be a severe set back to the rural J&K. Our rural areas still lack development. Most of the areas do not have road and communication network. The people do not enjoy the benefits, they would have in case PRIs would have become functional.
There is urgent need to address the issues facing the rural community. The villagers are moving from their places to cities in search of jobs and a dignified life. This move has certainly shaken the social fabric of these areas. Climate change is also affecting their livelihood. These issues do not matter much to the politicians and planners. The political class must understand the repurcussion of neglecting the PRIs before the situation may spin out of control.
Yours etc…
Hem Raj
Udhampur
Trending Now
E-Paper
Follow our WhatsApp channel