JAMMU, Mar 18:
Opposition parties today hit out at State Government in the State Assembly for its failure to empower Panchayats under a central amendment and discriminating Jammu region in providing model villages and staged a walkout.
During the Question Hour, Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) members Jugal Kishore Sharma and Ashok Khajuria raised the issue of security and empowerment of Panchayats by incorporating 73rd amendment of the Indian Constitution in the State and questioned the State Government’s failure in implementing it.
Unconvinced by the reply of Minister for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, Ali Mohammad Sagar, the BJP members staged a walkout from the House.
“We have raised the issue of incorporation of 73rd amendment of Panchayat Raj Act in the state in order to empower the panchayats in decision making and financial matters– but the Government has failed to empower them till now”, Jugal told reporters outside Assembly.
While Panchayats in other parts of the country have financial and decision making powers, those in J&K Panchayat are deprived of such facilities, Jugal said.
“The Government has ignored our demand for reply on the issue of empowerment of panchayats as they are not keen to empower this institution”, he said adding “they have not also been provided security as they become targets of the militants”.
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