GNS ONLINE NEWS PORTAL

Day: April 23, 2023

  • DDC Chairman Rajouri Raises important demands of Rajouri District with Lt Governor.

    DDC Chairman Rajouri Raises important demands of Rajouri District with Lt Governor.

    GNS ONLINE RAJOURI 
    SHYAM SOOD 

    RAJOURI, APRIL 23:–Advocate Ch. Naseem Liaqat, Chairman District Development Council (DDC) Rajouri , Advocate Nseem Liaqat on Sunday called on Lt Governor, Manoj Sinha at Raj Bhawan and besides expressing gratitude to him for continuous support and strengthening of PRIs of the UT of J&K also presented a memorandum of few urgent issues of Rajouri district to be mitigated on a priority basis.
    Naseem Liaqat also expressed happiness that for the first time the DDC has been consulted in the formulation of CD & Panchayat cap-ex plan of UT besides being consulted while prioritising NABARD projects.
    “The scope of district cap-ex plan has also been widened and now the planning of SSy, Aspirational Panchayat Development Schemes and that of NFB & United grants is also covered under district cap-ex, which is to be formulated by the DDC” said Naseem Liaqat.
    The major demands pertaining to Rajouri district raised By DDC Chairman, Naseem Liaqat in the memorandum include the construction of Mini Secretariat building for which the project was commissioned in 2012 and after few constructions ( at Kheora) the work was stalled to date for unknown reasons.
    Another burning issue is related to the construction of Government Degree College buildings at Darhal, Kotranka, and Doongi which are running in the government schools for the last 3-4 years.
    Another demand raised is the up-gradation of health centers at Thanamandi and Peeri from Community Health Center to Sub-district hospital. CHC Thanamandi CHC falls on Jammu-Rajouri-Shopian (Kashmir) and Rajouri to Shahdra Sharief and requires urgent up-gradation because it also caters to a fairly large population.
    Naseem Liaqat also demanded Munisiff Courts at Darhal & Manjakot( in consultation with Chief Justice of High Court) because the people of these areas have to cover long distances either to reach at Thanamandi (for Darhal) and at Rajouri.
    Another major demand raised in the memorandum is double laning of raod between Kalakot and Siot which at present is in a highly dilapidated condition.
    DDC Chairman has also requested to LT Governor o take up the matter of removing of barbed wire by the Army from outside the boundary wall of Advance Landing Ground (Army Airport) which is urgently required to widen the existing road to ease the traffic congestion.
    DDC Chairman also requested Lt Governor to personally monitor the construction of the new District Court Complex (at Muradpur) for which the site already stand identified and funds are available.
    Other demands include sanction of a new Tehsil at Budhal, Budhal to Shopian road (DPR of this road was prepared by the earlier government); Fire & Emergency Stations at all the Tehsil HQs, Girls Degree College at Rajouri, HSS at Lam Laroka; Girls HSS at Nowshera, and opening of Mughal road every year immediately after snow melts
    As the Lt Governor is the Chancellor of Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University (BGSBU) Rajouri, Chairman, DDC Rajouri requested for its improvement by bringing all the government/private colleges, including GMC Rajouri, under the aegis/control of BGSBU by segregating them from Jammu University.
    He also requested to establish Law College in BGSBU.
    The Lt Governor, Manoj Sinha assured the Chairman DDC Rajouri of redressal of the genuine demands put forth by him on merit.

  • Intensive search to trace & eliminate terrorists involved in attack on Army vehicle.

    Intensive search to trace & eliminate terrorists involved in attack on Army vehicle.

    GNS ONLINE RAJOURI 

    SHYAM SOOD

    “Necessary action is underway: asked Lt Gen Upendra Dwivedi to survivor of attack.
    Even after 80 hours of attack perpetrators are untraced.

    RAJOURI APRIL 23:–Besides teams from NIA, National Security Guard (NSG) and senior officers/officials of national intelligence agencies, several top-ranking Army, BSF, and Police officers, including Army Commander, Northern Command, Lt Gen Upendra Dwivedi; DGP, Dilbag Singh; Director General BSF, S L Thaosen; Additional DGP Jammu, Mukesh Singh, during a security review has visited the spot during last two days where 5 soldiers attained martyrdom on April 20 in a terror attack.
    But despite the additional deployment of SFs personnel in a massive combing and search operation, involving drones & sniffer dogs, the perpetrators are still at large and might either have slipped from the area with the help of OGWs or have taken shelter in caves in the dense forests.
    Meanwhile, Commander Lt Gen Upendra Dwivedi met with the only survivor of the terror attack under treatment in the Command Hospital and while interacting with him said; “Necessary action is being taken against the terrorists responsible for the attack”.
    “Lt Gen Upendra Dwivedi Army Cdr NC interacted with the survivor of the 20 April 23 Poonch incidents at Command Hospital Udhampur and assured that necessary action is underway” read Northern Command Tweet.


    It is pertinent to mention here that it was a well-planned and executed attack on the Army vehicle, that gave no time for soldiers to retaliate and was possible only the perpetrators involved in the attack had been trained by the Pakistan Army.
    Like Dhangri massacre, in which 7 people were killed on January 1& 2, the terrorists involved in the deadly attack on the Army vehicle disappeared from the area with the help of Over Ground Workers from already identified routes.
    The officials from NSG’s National Bomb Data Centre (NBDC) monitor, record & analyses all bombing incidents across the country, especially those related to IEDs to find out patterns.
    In this incident, the intelligence agencies also tried to focus on the pattern adopted by terrorists for triggering a fire that engulfed the entire vehicle.
    Security Forces have cordoned the entire area around Bhata Dhurian, Tota Gali, and have rounded up several suspects for questioning including a few couples.
    After the incident high alert has been sounded in both the border districts of Rajouri & Poonch and keeping in view the forthcoming G20 summit in Srinagar, more terror incidents can’t be ruled out in the future.
    A group of 6-8 terrorists comprising Pakistani nationals are already active in Rajouri & Poonch and besides terror attacks is also recruiting & giving training to new recruits to avoid identification by the intelligence agencies.
    The soldiers who attained martyrdom in the terror attack on their vehicle were from a Rashtriya Rifles unit deployed for counter-militant operations.
    Sources said that the terrorists involved in an attack on Army vehicle used steel core bullets, capable of piercing an armoured shield.
    The terrorists also decamped with the weapons of the martyred, sources added.
    Meanwhile, after a cowardly attack by Pakistan-sponsored terrorists on Army vehicle in which 5 soldiers were killed, 113 members of Bakerwal Community led by Mohd Akram supported the Indian Army and at Akhnoor came forward & expressed solidarity with SFs.
    “Mohd Akram & in Akhnoor expressed his grief over the loss of the Bravehearts and condemned the cowardly attack,” said PRO Defence Jammu.

  • Struggle of JK Panchayat Conference in strengthening PRIs

    Struggle of JK Panchayat Conference in strengthening PRIs

    GNS ONLINE NEWS PORTAL

    BY DR. RAJA MUZAFFAR BHATT

    The Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) that we see in operation in Jammu & Kashmir has a great struggle behind it. This system was first introduced by Maharaja Hari Singh in the princely state of Jammu & Kashmir in 1935.

    The key objective of establishing this institution was to assist the state in village affairs. Mostly this institution was given the role of settling local disputes of the people.

    On seeing the effectiveness of this institution, the Maharaja’s regime amended the Panchayat act of his government in 1941 to make it broader and assign more activities to this institution.

    In 1947 the Maharaja regime ended and all powers were transferred to Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah as Chief Emergency Administrator of Jammu & Kashmir. When he took over as Prime Minister of J&K, he made some more amendments in the Panchayati Raj system of governance giving some more roles to these institutions.

    Although there was no formal legislation governing Panchayati Raj in J&K. Some changes were brought in around 1951 and 1958, but the panchayati institution were kept confined within village level affairs only.
    The Panchayat means some members and a sarpanch.

    All these members were selected by Govt and not elected at all.This practice continued till late eighties. In 989 government of Jammu & Kashmir came with a formal legislation known as Jammu & Kashmir Panchayati Raj Act 1989.This Act provided the three-tier Panchayati Raj system in the state, viz Halqa Panchayat, Block development council (Block-Simiti ) and District planning and development board or Zila- Parishad. The most important provision in this act was Panchayati Adalat (a judicial role of Panchayats) with powers of settling all non-criminal local disputes locally. The Panchayati Raj Act 1989 could not be made operational on the ground due to outbreak of militancy around early 1990. Infact National Conference came to power in 1996 again but they could not dare to hold panchayat elections as situation was not at all conducive for it.

    Panchayat Elections

    Under the J&K Panchayati Raj Act 1989, the first Panchayat election was held in Jammu & Kashmir in 2000, however, most of the seats remained vacant because of the threats from militants particularly in Kashmir valley. After the completion of its term in 2005 ,no elections were held in the state until 2011.In April-May 2011 then state government led by Omar Abdullah took an initiative and conducted Panchayat elections in the entire state. These elections by and large were successful and almost all seats were filled with a huge participation of people.

    Around 80 % polling was registered across J&K. But the election process was done only up to Halqa Panchayats and the elections for second and third tier were not conducted due to political reasons as MLAs didn’t feel comfortable with this system of governance. Infact there was no constitutional binding for Govt to conduct fresh elections after the expiry of each term of the Panchayats.

    The three tier PRI system was never completed despite the provision being in place in J&K Panchayati Raj Act 1989. Fearing the threat of power sharing with Panchayats the local state politicians never wanted to see this institution strengthened.

    Struggle by AJKPC

    In fact, the real struggle for a three tier PRI system In Jammu and Kashmir started in the year 2012 with the group of Sarpanches led by Shafiq Mir a Sarpanch from Poshana village in district Poonch.

    He was the first person who organized various Panchayat associations and organizations under one umbrella called All J&K Panchayat Conference (AJKPC).

    Since then there was no looking back for the leaders of this organization. AJKPC led by Mir stood like a rock in all the odd times when militants started targeting the sarpanches and killing them to resign from the Panchayats in 2012.

    Following the dictate, hundreds of Sarpanches and Panches resigned from their posts fearing life. At this point of time when there was a deep sense of insecurity among the Panchayat members AJKPC led by Shafiq Mir came out and asked the Panchayat members not to resign.

    On seeing the gravity of the situation, on September 27th 2012 then all powerful Congress leader Rahul Gandhi invited the group of Sarpanches led by Shafiq Mir to Delhi and held two days long deliberations with them in presence of the then Union MOS Home Jitendra Singh.

    Lot of brainstorming was done to find out the ways to build confidence among the Panchayat leaders of Jammu & Kashmir who were on resigning spree at that time.

    Finally it was decided that Mr Rahul Gandhi himself would visit Kashmir and meet the Panchayat members. On 4th October 2012 Rahul Gandhi reached Srinagar and met with the Panchayat leaders at SKICC Srinagar to build their confidence and assured them all help to empower the Panchayati Raj Institutions-PRIs.

    Though Rahul Gandhi wanted to extend 73rd amendment of the Indian constitution to Jammu & Kashmir but the National Conference was reluctant to implement this constitutional amendment. Although NC was having a coalition Govt with Congress in J&K during that point of time.

    Meeting with PM Modi
    In the year 2014 PDP-BJP Govt came to power in J&K. in the first stroke this government dissolved all Panchayats prematurely. However, by that time All J&K Panchayat Conference -AJKPC had turned into a very strong voice and it started its struggle again. Around 40 member delegation of this organization reached New Delhi and met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on November 5th 2016 .

    AJKPC demanded the fresh Panchayat elections be held in J&K along with implementation of 73rd amendment of Indian constitution regarding Panchayati Raj Institutions-PRIs .

    This was the time when the whole valley was shut after the killing of a prominent militant leader Burhan Wani in July 2016 . This was a very bold decision of the organization during that time because it was the step seen as against the winds.

    This proved a significant meeting with PM Modi and he gave his full support to this demand and assured them to hold fresh elections in the state though the local PDP -BJP Govt was not ready to conduct the elections fearing bloodshed.

    Finally, in 2018 after the collapse of PDP-BJP government, Panchayat elections were announced by PM Modi.

    However this time, not only militants and separatists, the mainstream political parties like NC and PDP also gave an open boycott call against these elections .
    At this point of time AJKPC was the only organization led by Mir which stood in the ground and announced to contest these elections.

    Despite all these pressures and boycott calls, elections were held with 74 % polling as claimed by the government. Following this, in 2019 first time second tier elections for block development councils were also held soon after the abrogation of article 370 .
    This time too there was a complete boycott of these elections by almost all political parties . However, 100 % Block Development Councils were elected.

    Encouraged with the results, next year in 2020, the union government announced to hold third tier Panchayat elections in Jammu & Kashmir. Interestingly, this time, all political parties fearing ground slipping under their feet jumped into these elections and the third tier came into being.

    Conclusion

    For setting up Panchayati raj system of governance in J&K, the credit goes to the J&K Panchayat Conference led by Mr Shafiq Mir who fought for the establishment of this institution in all the odd times. Infact the Panchayati Raj Institution-PRI members right from village panchayat to district development council (DDC) face lots of challenges vis a vis proper protocol and salary issues from Govt but the funding to villages has increased drastically. Each village panchayat gets Rs 23.50 lakhs along with share from DDC & BDC grants plus MGNREGA & 14,15 FC funding. This would not have been possible had these institutions not been set up.