How will JK spend funds meant for nonexistent rural bodies?

By Mudassir Kuloo

SRINAGAR: There is uncertainty over how the Jammu and Kashmir government would spend the funds sanctioned under ‘panchayat budget’ for 2018-2019, as the local rural bodies do not exist in the state.
On January 11, the Mehbooba Mufti-led government had presented the first-ever separate panchayat budget in the state. Government had made a provision to spend Rs 1,000 crore on panchayats and urban civic bodies during 2018-2019 in the state.
However, there exist no panchayat bodies in the state as the term of previous local rural bodies completed in July 2016.
Chairman All Jammu and Kashmir Panchayat Conference, Shafiq Mir said government has announced Rs 1000 crore for panchayats for 2018-2019.
“Government should bring clarity how it is spending the funds when panchayats do not exist in the state,” Mir told The Kashmir Monitor. “These funds can be utilized only when panchayat system is in place but there is no accountability,” he said.
He said that government should clear the confusion whether the panchayat polls are held in this year. “Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti had said that panchayat polls will be held from February 15, following which All Party Meeting was also held. Since then, government is not coming up with a statement when the polls will be held,” he added.
Secretary Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Department, Sheetal Nanda said she recently took over the department.
“I will check it only then will make comments,” Nanda said.
When asked Minister of State for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, Sunil Kumar Sharma how the funds will be spent in absence of panchayats, he said he was busy in a meeting. Later he did not receive the calls.
An official of the RDD said that government in January announced the funds as it had expected that panchayat polls would be held from February 15. “As the polls are not held, we don’t know how the funds will be spent. Government may spend these funds through MLAs,” the official added.
The last panchayat elections were held in April-May 2011 with 80% turnout.
The state is losing huge Centre funding due to non-holding of panchayat polls. Elections to Panchayats were last held in April-May 2011 during Omar Abdullah led National Conference-Congress regime after a gap of 37 years. The government postponed these polls for several times in the last few years.