Empower panchayati raj institutions: Saroori

Without three tiers panchayat elections in the state it will become irrelevant if government would not form BDCs

Jammu, January 19: - During the discussion on demand for grants of the Rural Development Department (RDD) and Panchayat Raj, The Member of Legislative Assembly from Inderwal, Ghulam Mohammad Saroori said the situation in the state would change only once the 73rd and 74th constitutional amendments were incorporated into the J&K Panchayat Raj Act. The 73rd Amendment deals with empowering panchayati raj institutions.

Saroori said without three tiers panchayat elections in the state it will become irrelevant if government would not form Block Development Councils (BDCs) across the State. He said that the benefits of Panchayat elections if take place in future will not trickled to the grassroots level if the State Government failed to empower Panchayats. He said that holding Panchayat elections without the constitution of BDCs is equivalent to holding the Assembly elections without electing the Chief Minister and the other Ministers. He expressed his disappointment over the delay in panchayat election and demanded implementation of 73rd and 74th amendments to the Constitution giving more powers to the Panchayats.

He has also raised other public related issues including Sanctioning of more IAY’s for rural areas, filling of vacant posts in the department, early payment to work done to SBI, IHHL, completion of Panchayat Ghars, regularization MGREGA employees, sanctioning of Munsiff court for sub-division Chatroo.

Speaking on the grants of Social Welfare Department in Legislative Assembly, Saroori termed Social Welfare Department as a means to bring the destitute, infirm, aged, under privileged and deprived people in the mainstream of society, Saroori appealed government to improve the functioning of the Department.

Saroori said all other development in the society makes sense only once the under privileged, under developed, orphans, widows and destitute are given due share in it. He said service to these sections is a divine duty where one is rewarded not only here but also in the life here after. He said that the allocation of inadequate financial resources has spoiled the cause of Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) which is bound to hamper the implementation of child welfare schemes and over all functioning of the social welfare department in the state. Due to stagnation the promotion prospects of supervisors, workers and helpers have been diminished, he said and stressed that it was necessary to bring them under the ambit of minimum wages act and uniform service rules. “Cutting the funds under ICDS is nothing but open attack on poor and most malnourished section of our population," he said.

He also demanded immediate steps to be taken to increase honorarium to Anganwadi workers and helpers at par with Haryana Government and covering them under pension, gratuity and other social security benefits. He also raised pubic related issues including increasing of pension cases to handicaps and NOAPS from Rs. 200 to Rs. 1000, sanctioning all pending pension cases, survey for marriage assistant in district Kishtwar and Doda, sanctioning of new Aganwari centres as 105 centres have already been submitted for sanctioning, enhancement of Aganwaries salary to Rs. 10, 000, renewable of NGO’s should be done once in life time not every year, promotion of Aganwari workers as supervisors, providing of cycle, ear machines and wheel chairs to handicaps through Director rehabilitation, fully equipment of Balniketan nariketan, bringing the crash centres at par with Anganwari centres in paying emoluments, women *developmental corporation through self help group should be created so that they will provide loan to poor’s. SC & ST category peoples should provide cars on subsidy base.

Saroori further raised issues related to tribal affairs department which include more funding to this department to make this functional, ST students should be provided scholarship timely and it should be deposited directly into the beneficiary account, increase in number of bed to 100 at Gujjar hostel Chatroo and administrative power which are lying at Doda should be in Chatroo as it is hard run this hostel from Doda, increase in funds for nutrition, model higher secondary school Chatroo construction should be started at an earliest so that student community shall avail benefit and will be easier for them in studying, 1 bando kalian yojana scheme should be implemented in letter and spirit which will definitely benefit needy and poor families. He also said there is urgent need of framing rules for tribal affair ministry in J&K as department came into exist in 2007 but rules have been framed yet which is unfortunate.

Congress lawmaker also demanded for introducing the modern village initiative in his constituency. He also demanded for making Gujjar-Bakarwal mobile schools functional and asked for allocating funds for road connectivity in tribal areas. He urged for early clearance of pending funds for old age pension cases and a specialist doctor to identify deaf and dumb people so that they could avail benefits from welfare schemes.