JAMMU, Mar 6:The Government today announced remuneration for Sarpanches and a provision of Rs 231 crores for devolution of powers to Panchayats.
“I have proposed to pay renumeration of Rs 2,000 per month to all the Sarpanches (in the proposed budget for 2012-13)”, Finance Minister Abdul Rahim Rather said in the assembly.
He said the Panches will be paid a fee of Rs 300 per sitting subject to a monthly ceiling of Rs 600.
“The question of appropriate renumeration for Sarpanches and Panches have been engaging the attention of the government”, Rather said, adding, “we have collected the relevant information in this behalf from other states in the country where the Panchayat Raj System has been practiced.”
There are 33,000 Sarpanches and Panches in the State elected last year, who had been demanding perks and remunerations besides financial and decision making powers to the Panchayat.
“We welcome the step taken by the State Government which have announced the grant of renumeration to Sarpanches and Panches”, Congress MLC, G Monga said, adding, “Government has fulfilled its promise done with the members of the Panchayats and it has given us great pleasure”.
All Jammu and Kashmir Panchayat Conference (AJKPC), an organisation of elected Panches and Sarpanches in the state while welcoming the honorarium for Panchayat members said that their prime demand is empowerment of Panchayats and security for its leaders.
“We welcome this step. It is a first victory of members of panchayats as the honorarium is projected by the State Government in the budget”, Chairman of AJKPC, Shafiq Mir told reporters.
However, it was made clear that until Panchayats are fully empowered they can not deliver any thing to the public, he said.
Mir said, “though this step has brought a little smile on their faces but this honorarium can not solve the problems of Panchayats”.
AJKPC general secretary Anil Sharma said though it was not satisfactory but a good beginning and its all credit goes to all the members of Panchayat Conference who raised the voice of Panchayats in a forceful manner.
CPI(M) State Secretary and MLA M Y Tarigami termed the enhancement of in remuneration as inadequate.
“Given the nature of their job, the Government should have not left a big gap between Sarpanch and Panch in terms of their remuneration. Their remuneration is totally inadequate in view of the price rise,” he said lamented. (AGENCIES)
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