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| Empowerment eludes, Govt fails to provide insurance cover to Panchs, Sarpanchs | | | Bashir Assad
Jammu, Jan 24: Being conscious that National Conference has never honored its commitments nor has it reached out to the people in need, its coalition partner Congress is now seeking even petty insurance cover for the Panchs and Sarpanchs, living under the shadow of gun in the State, from the Union Government.
Pertinently the National Conference leadership particularly Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and Rural Development Minister, Ali Mohammad Sagar had publicly committed that the elected Panchs and Sarpanchs will be soon provided insurance cover. Not only this both Omar and Sagar are on record to have said that adequate remuneration will also be provided to Panchs and Sarpanchs.
NC led coalition Government has been swearing by the empowerment of Panchayati Raj Institutions by giving them powers of 14 vital departments, a Government order which is not even worth the paper it has been inked on because it has no Constitutional or legal validity nor does it in any way aims at empowering the basic democratic institutions. In fact the order in itself provides an insight as to what extent the existing Panchayati Raj Act, though full of lacunas, has been violated rather butchered by the present dispensation.
Now forget about empowering Panchayat Raj Institution, the State Government even could not fulfill its commitment of providing an insurance cover and a secure environ to near about 33,000 elected representatives whom it exploited to the fullest during the recently held elections to the 4 reserved seats of Upper House. For insurance, remuneration and special package for Panchayat Institutions in the State, the elected representatives of the Upper House from reserved quota for Panchs, had to knock at the doors of the Union Government.
In corruption ridden State of J&K senior Congress leader and MLC, Ghulam Nabi Monga had to go with begging bowl to New-Delhi for the insurance cover of a few crore rupees to the Panchs and Sarpanchs who are living in fear and anxiety.
The issue of powers to village councils and security to them has become a national issue now -thanks to insensitivity and non seriousness of the NC-Congress coalition Government.
Only one month back, both the coalition partners while campaigning for the coalition candidates from Panchayat reserved quota, have publicly committed to provide insurance cover and keep funds at the disposal of the panchayat institutions for developmental programs. However, the issue soon evaded from their minds and the priorities shifted from empowerment of elementary democratic institutions to strengthening the parties at gross roots level with eye on 2014 elections.
It was this lukewarm response from the Omar Abdullah regime that a member of the Upper House who was elected on K2 reserved seat for Panchayat in Upper House, Ghulam Nabi Monga has to bow literary before the Union Minister for Rural Development and Panchayat Raj V. Kishore Chandra S. Deo for providing insurance cover to the Panchs and Sarpanchs in J&K who have been the soft target of militants during last 18 months or so.
It merits a mention here that more than a dozen elected representatives have lost their lives so far to the militant attacks and hundreds have tendered their resignations owing to the threat perception.
Monga today also pleaded for a special package for the Panchayat Raj Institutions owing to the fact that not a single penny was allocated under the current fiscal year to these institutions.
However, the fact of the matter is, providing insurance cover, budgetary support and security to Sarpanchs and Panchs is State's responsibility and by publicly expressing its inability now to do so, the State's National Conference (NC)-Congress coalition Government is abdicating its Constitutional obligation as also admitting failure.
So much so that State Government has failed in putting a mechanisms in place to determine the threat perception of individual Sarpanchs and Panchs. No doubt in case of lack of resources, it can seek the assistance of the Union Ministry, however, the Panchs and Sarpanchs have become victims of "dual" vulnerability.
On the one hand, they are under constant threats from militant organisations, while on the other hand, they have become a target of public wrath and resentment due to their inability to deliver because of lack of empowerment Constitutionally.
There are over 33,000 elected Panchs and Sarpanchs in the State who are at the receiving end for not being empowered on one hand and providing a secure environ on the other hand.
Ghulam Nabi Monga who along with three other colleagues has to move from pillar to post because he has to face the wrath of 33 thousand elected representatives immediately and has to safeguard himself from credibility crises. However, it remains to be seen as to whether he can convince the Union Government to meet the demands other than the empowerment of the Panchayat Raj Institutions in the State. |
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