All Jammu and Kashmir Panchayat Conference, the premier organization working for the welfare of Panchayati Raj Institutions in J&K has reiterated its demand for carry forwarding funds under Capex to the next fiscal year 2022-23 which otherwise would be lapsed on March 31, 2022.
Today while addressing a press conference here at its Jammu headquarters, the AJKPC president Anil Sharma along with other senior office bearers of the organization slammed the Jammu and Kashmir administration for its duplicity and making mockery of the Panchayti Raj Institutions for the political gain.
The AJKPC alleged that the Jammu and Kashmir administration on the name of empowering elected Panches and Sarpanches, BDC Chairpersons and DDC members is playing a fixed match and hoodwinking the central government.
Taking strong note of the recently convened so called interaction program of PRI members with the Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, the AJKPC president said that only tutored people were allowed to speak up during the program to showcase that everything is hunky- dory under the LG’s administration which is far away from truth.
There were many elected PRI members who had requested the officers and wanted to raise their genuine issues before the LG Manoj Sinha but they were restrained and were not allowed to do so for the reason best known to these officers and the LG.
Sharma said they had made several representations to the J&K government to ensure that funds worth 100s of crore of rupees be allowed to carry forward for next fiscal year 2022-23 for developmental works of rural areas, but the government is adamant, J&K is already a financially starved region and this lapse of funds worth crores at the end of this financial year 2021-22 would be huge setback for the Panchayti Raj Institutions of J&K.
He also informed that the government has to yet release part installments of funds to the PRIs under 14th and 15th Financial Commission.
Sharma also accused the bureaucrats responsible for the deliberate delay in finalizing tender terms and conditions and then formally floating a tender for developmental works resulting in delay in award of contracts and delay in completion of the projects. Sharma also asked the government to revisit its policy of e-tendering for works below Rs 5 lac, and demanded these petty contract works should be awarded to locals of the Panchayat and blocks. Other prominent people who were present and addressed the media include Hans Raj Thakur, Koshal kumar , Balwant Raj , Des Raj Bhagat, Susheel Singh, Sher Singh, Ram Swaroop Sharma, Babu Ram , Ashwani kumar ,Sansar and Hans Raj all Sarpanches.