AJKPC seeks financial empowerment of PRIs, holds simultaneous protests in Jammu, Srinagar

Jammu/Srinagar, 17/Sept/2020: Jammu Police on Thursday arrested Anil Sharma, President of All Jammu and Kashmir Panchayat Conference (AJKPC) and other leaders during  protests organised by the organization on different issues related to PRIs.

AJKPC—a frontline organisation of elected Panchayat members—held simultaneous protests in Srinagar and Jammu  region, demanding grassroots level and financial empowerment of Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) in J&K.

The protests were held on the call of UT president of AJKPC Anil Sharma. In Srinagar, the protests were held outside the Press Enclave wherein the members of the AJKPC raised slogans against the J&K government while senior members of the AJKPC headed by Anil Sharma held protest demonstration near Pt Premnath Dogra Chowk.

Reiterating their demand for implementation of 73rd Amendment of Indian Constitution in Jammu and Kashmir, the AJKPC members said the government has failed to empower the PRIs financially.

“The PRIs have not been able to bring a desired change on ground in rural areas due to non-availability of financial resources. We request the UT government to create Panchayat Development Fund (PDF) on the pattern of MLAs’ Constituency Development Fund (CDF) to improve the living standards of people at Panchayat level,” Sharma said while addressing the protestors in Jammu.

The government should fix a minimum amount of Rs 25 lakh per Panchayat as PDF which will help the elected Panchayat members to bring a positive change on ground, the AJKPC president said.

He also demanded an increase in the amount of Rs 10 lakh that has been sanctioned by Lieutenant Governor, Sh. Manoj Sinha, under Back to Village (B2V) program.

“The amount of Rs 10 lakh is too meager when the prices of all construction material are so inflated. This amount is not sufficient and the government should increase it to at least Rs 25 lakh per Panchayat for each phase of B2V,” Sharma said.

The AJKPC leader also demanded immediate enhancement of monthly honorarium being paid to Sarpanches and Panches. “It is very difficult for Sarpanches and Panches to work under the existing meagre honorariums of Rs 3,000 and Rs 1,000 respectively. We demand that the government should immediately hike the honorarium of Sarpanches to Rs 10,000 per month while it should be Rs 5,000 per month for Panches,” Sharma said.

“If the Centre and the UT administration are sincere in their approach vis-à-vis overall development of rural areas, they will have to take immediate measures for implementation of 73rd Amendment of Indian Constitution and financial empowerment of the PRIs,” he said.

Sharma informed that in Srinagar protests were held by AJKPC leaders including Reyaz Ahmad Bhat, Irshad Ahmad Bhat, Bashir ahmad Bhat, Reyaz Ahmad, Javid Ahmad, Mohd Shreef Bhat, Afrooza Akther, Nazir Ahmed Dedar and Inass Ul Islam.