SRINAGAR, Jun 27: A significant meeting of the All Jammu & Kashmir Panchayat Conference was held today in Srinagar. Addressing the meeting, President of the organisation Anil Sharma raised the demand for increasing the salaries of Panchs and Sarpanchs in Jammu & Kashmir.
Anil Sharma said that Jammu & Kashmir is an integral part of India and shares its border with Punjab. He stated that the Punjab Government has announced a salary of Rs 10,000 per month for all Sarpanchs in Punjab. On the same lines, the Sarpanchs of Jammu & Kashmir should also be provided a salary of Rs 10,000 per month and Panchs should be given a salary of Rs 5,000 per month.
He said that there is now a need not just to increase the honorarium but to provide a proper salary to Panchs and Sarpanchs, as they play an important role at the grassroots level in resolving public issues and ensuring development works.
The President of the All Jammu & Kashmir Panchayat Conference said that for many years, big announcements have been made from various platforms that the Government of India’s funds are open for the people and Panchayats of Jammu & Kashmir, but the ground reality does not reflect this. It appears that the funds meant for the Panchayats have not reached them and the rights of Panchayat representatives are still pending.
He also demanded that all pending honorarium dues of Panchs and Sarpanchs in Jammu & Kashmir should be released at the earliest.
Anil Sharma said that strengthening Panchayats requires empowering Panchs and Sarpanchs financially. The Government should take immediate steps in this direction so that the Panchayat system in Jammu & Kashmir can function more effectively.