news details |
|
|
| Empowering people taking little longer | | | Early Times Report:
Jammu, Sept 8: Between change of regimes thrice in nine years and change of faces at the helm of affairs as many times, one lofty promise that parties made on sharing a bit of power with the people still continues to be like chasing a dream.
Hesitation of the political elite on democratic decentralization of powers to the grassroots has remained a chronic problem in Jammu and Kashmir and the current year also there are no signs of having the Panchayat elections around. Ironically, the delay in holding Panchayat elections is despite the fact that Jammu and Kashmir is annually loosing more than Rs 500 Crore central assistance as there are on democratically elected bodies of local governance in the rural areas.
Credit goes to then Chief Minister Dr Farooq Abdullah for holding Panchayat elections after a staggering gap of over 22 years after his illustrious father Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah suspended the institutions of local governance for a legislation to empower them. It took more than two decades to have Panchayat elections but again he is to be blamed for keeping the Panchayats in limbo till he demitted office.
Despite making loud promises and then later offering a new model of local governance in the camouflage of self-rule, Farooq successor Mufti Mohammad Syeed too did no good for the Panchayats. He sat over the promise for three years and so did his successor Ghulam Nabi Azad. Azad just stopped short leaving behind a historical precedence when he took to major decision on creation of new districts but failed to hold Panchayat elections during his tenure of around two and half years.
Omar Abdullah too was high on promise to devolve powers to the grassroots by holding Panchayat elections but this still seems to be a far cry. Now it is almost officially confirmed that there is no possibility of Panchayat elections this year while the government has given the people to understand that this (elections) may happen the next year.
Rural Development and Panchayats Minister Ali Mohammad Sagar says that the government is working on the issue and decision to this effect is likely to be taken by the cabinet later this year.
Last time, the Panchayat elections were held in 2000 as the NC government believed in delegation of authority to field functionaries and to local bodies for improvement in service. However, due to violence, the process could not be completed, he said, adding out of 4,000 Panchayats, elections to 2,600 Panchayats were held.
Sagar claims that holding Panchayat elections is the top agenda of this government. “We are working on it and about 50 per cent ground and other work has already been done, he said adding that the report will be put before the Cabinet for approval later this year”, says the Rural Development Minister.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
