 Early Times Report
JAMMU, Dec 16: "The decision of Lieutenant Governor (LG) Manoj Sinha's administration to empower Panchayats and other local self-governing institutions by granting them power to accord administrative approval for execution of works in their respective domains is aimed at decentralising powers and making common people at grassroot levels, a part of the decision-making process in Jammu and Kashmir. This is what BJP had promised and is delivering now".
This was stated by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) J&K Executive Member Raman Suri, who added that with this order, the District Development Councils (DDCs), Block Development Councils (BDCs) and Gram Panchayats across J&K will be able to take their own decisions and their dependency for administrative approvals will be over. This will also enable local self-governing institutions to develop villages without any delay.
Since the village institutions, depending upon their structure and financial powers, have been empowered to take decisions for works up to Rs 5 lakh by Gram Panchayats, Rs 20 lakh by BDCs and Rs one crore by DDCs, now the developmental works won't get stalled at bureaucratic levels for long. Raman Suri said, this power of according administrative approval marks the beginning of a new era of progress and development in the UT of J&K.
Raman Suri also took other political parties like NC, PDP and Congress head-on, stating that these parties had been stalling such popular decisions since ages, which was why common people were feeling alienated and our villages were not able to develop at par with other villages across the country. He added that now the scenario has changed and with the new powers, village Panchayats will begin to generate revenue of their own and become independent institutions.
Raman Suri said that Gram Panchayats, Block Samitis and Zila Parishads in Jammu and Kashmir were never empowered rather elections to these institutions were hardly held. This was the reason powers were solely concentrated in civil secretariats and those in power used to confine everything to themselves only. Ever since BJP has come to power at the Centre, LG administration is taking popular decisions and is empowering local bodies in real terms.
Raman Suri added that elections to the District Development Councils were, for the first time held in J&K in 2020 after the abrogation of Article 370. The controversial article was a stumbling block in the development of J&K and now that these institutions have come into existence, J&K is going witness a new era of development, prosperity and peace. |
