Empowering Panchayats, Municipalities

15/08/2019

Independence must begin at the bottom. Thus, every village will be a republic or Panchayat having full powers. It follows, therefore, that every village has to be self-sustained and capable of managing its affairs even to the extent of defending itself against the whole world. It will be trained and prepared to perish in the attempt to defend itself against any onslaught from without. Thus, ultimately, it is the individual who is the unit. The best, quickest and most efficient way is to build up from the bottom. Every village has to become a self-sufficient republic. This does not require brave resolutions. It requires brave, corporate, intelligent work. Notwithstanding repeated thrust by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi on empowering Panchayats and Municipalities from all the aspects, the administration of Jammu and Kashmir has yet not started paying serious attention towards setting up of Finance Commission for these grass root level democratic institutions, the law about which was enacted more than eight years back. To make the Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) and Municipalities fully empowered, it is necessary that they have a sustained source of funds and keeping this aspect in mind and the recommendations of the 13th Central Finance Commission, the Jammu and Kashmir State Finance Commission for Panchayats and Municipalities Act was enacted in the year 2011 and the same received assent of the Governor on April 23, 2011. The Act states: "The Government shall, as soon as may be from the commencement of Act, and thereafter at the expiration of every 5th year, constitute a State Finance Commission for Panchayats and Municipalities to review the financial position of these grass root democratic institutions".
However, despite lapse of over eight years no step has been initiated by the Government for establishment of this important Commission. Even several months after formal elections to the Panchayats and Municipalities this Act has failed to receive due attention of the State administration and even formal discussion on setting into motion process towards establishment of this Commission has not been initiated either in the Housing and Urban Development Department or Rural Development Department. The non-serious approach in establishment of this Commission is notwithstanding the fact that Prime Minister NarendraModi is repeatedly laying thrust on empowering Panchayats and Municipalities from all the aspects. In the recent past the Prime Minister while interacting with the representatives of the Panchayats from Jammu and Kashmir had stated that every effort would be made to empower these grass root level democratic institutions. The establishment of State Finance Commission assumes importance especially when the Government of India has already started releasing huge funds to Jammu and Kashmir for utilization by Panchayats and Municipalities. The importance of this legislation can be gauged from the fact that Union Ministry of Home Affairs has kept it in the list of the State Laws which will remain in force in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and Union Territory of Ladakh. It is a matter of concern that Jammu and Kashmir State Finance Commission for Panchayats and Municipalities Act assumes significance for the Ministry of Home Affairs but not for the Jammu and Kashmir administration.

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