Panchayat representatives need to become more accountable in J&K so that they can use their powers transparently and responsibly, says Yaar Mohammed tantrey
In 2011, Panchayat Elections were held in the then state (now a Union Territory) of Jammu and Kashmir after a long gap of 33 years. The event promised hopes to the residents of J&K who were more than eager to participate in the democratic process of electing their local leaders. But the hopes died within the next five years as the representatives of local self-government — sarpanches and panchs — felt demoralised and saddened by their experience as they demanded 73rd amendment prior to the 2016 elections. It is important to note here that the 73rd amendment of the Panchayati Raj Act that advocates decentralised planning and offers more powers to panchayats, is not applicable in J&K. Now, a frontline organisation of elected panchayat members — The All Jammu and Kashmir Panchayat Conference (AJKPC) — has reiterated its demand for complete empowerment of Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) in the Union Territory by implementing this amendment in entirety.
The demand holds importance because Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) will be able to function effectively and fulfill their responsibilities with this devolution of power to Panchayats. However, at the same time, there is a need to check the working of these local institutions that are responsible for execution of all government schemes meant for the upliftment of the rural communities and have massive funds dedicated to them.
In the border district of Poonch (250 kilometers from Jammu city), villagers of the Bedar Panchayat in the Mandi Block are not happy with the way Panchayat members are functioning. According to them, some representatives of their Panchayat are following corrupt practices while allocating benefits of government schemes to the public. They also shared a recent incident where an audio clip was circulated on social media in which the Deputy Sarpanch of Bedar Panchayat was heard demanding a commission from one Abdul Rashid.
The brother of 55-year-old Rashid had filed an application proving his eligibility for the Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana Gramin (PMAYG), a government housing scheme that aims to provide a pucca house, with basic amenities, to all houseless families and those families living in kutcha and dilapidated houses, by 2022. The file was approved and an installment of Rs 50,000 was also deposited to the account of the beneficiary. It is from this amount that the Deputy Sarpanch of Bedar Panchayat was found demanding money from the beneficiaries as a commission.
Soon the said audio recording between the two parties went viral bringing the matter to the notice of the Block Development Officer (BDO) and Block Development Chairman (BDC) of Mandi tehsil. The two parties were summoned to their office where apart from a few dignitaries from the village, employees of the department stationed in Bedar Panchayat were also present. During the investigation, it was proved that the Deputy Sarpanch along with the Sarpanch Panchayat was also involved in demanding money from the beneficiaries and that the employees of the department had no role to play in it. Although a thorough investigation was conducted by the BDO to prove these charges but so far, no legal action has been taken against the accused.
Incidences like these not only create a trust deficit between the public and the elected representatives but dilute the overall objective of the social welfare schemes. 60-year-old Ghulam Ahmed Sheikh from the same Panchayat lives in one small room along with his wife and three daughters. He works hard to sustain his family but with his daughters growing up, it has become difficult for them to manage in a single, dilapidated room that leaks every time there is rainfall. With no money to build a house of his own. “Panchayat people did not include my name in the PMAYG list as they demanded a commission to register my name. If I had so much money, I would have built or repaired my existing room,” rued Ghulam as he talked about how he has been deprived of what was rightfully his.
The Panchayat representatives adopt a different route if their demands of commission are not met. Shah Mohammad, a resident of Ward No. 6 said that although his name was in the list of PMAYG, he never received any financial assistance. He was told that his account number is wrong in the records. He spoke with the Panchayat members on several occasions and requested them to correct the details but no one paid heed. Later, he decided to meet the BDO who, on checking his application form, found that the account number in his file was correct. “It proved that the Panchayat representatives are the ones who were trying to fill their coffers by misleading poor people like me. There are many others who have been deceived by their elected representatives,” shared a disappointed Shah.
A person from the Sarpanch’s family disclosed that he has registered four names from his own family in the list. It is from the public funds that he is getting a magnificent building ready for himself clearly doing injustice to the vulnerable sections of the society.
When Mazhar Ali Jafri, the BDO, Mandi was contacted, he shared that people facing issues with the Panchayat should contact their office directly as they would like to support a more transparent process. He also assured that if any employee from his department is found following corrupt practices, strict action would be taken. After all these incidences, a few aware citizens have filed applications using RTI to know exactly how much money has been allocated for the scheme to this particular Panchayat and how it has been utilised so far.
On one hand, there are efforts by the people demanding 73rd amendment for Panchayats in J&K and on the other, there are such incidences which raise question over the credibility of the whole system. It is about time that elected leaders at local level understand that it is not about having more power but utilising existing power transparently and responsibly towards the betterment of the people.
—Charkha Features