Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah on Sunday announced devolution of powers of recently elected panchayats which will become fully functional from September 1. He said some untied grants would be allocated to each panchayat halqa for taking up emergent works.
“We had promised the transfer of powers to sarpanches and panches and we have fulfilled it,” he said, adding that under the first instalment numerous powers in various sectors have been entrusted to the panchayats. “This is the first instalment of powers to these panchayats and more powers would be given to them with the passage of time,” the chief minister said.
Mr Abdullah told the media here, “We had promised to empower panchayats before Id-ul-Fitr and today we have done our bit. Now the onus lies on panches and sarpanches and they should discharge their duties with honesty and sincerity.” Over 80 per cent voters had participated in the elections held after a gap of more than a decade.
The panchayats will be empowered to prepare plans for development of the concerned halqa or block, undertake measures for implementation of the development plan, deal with the problems of soil conservation, rural industrialisation, agriculture, sheep and animal husbandry and other welfare plans.