Rs1k-cr Central funds to flow in after local bodies election

Sumit Hakhoo

Tribune News Service

Jammu, September 21

The successful conduct of the urban local bodies and panchayat elections could facilitate the flow of Rs 1,000-crore Central funds annually for developmental activities in the state.

Official sources in the planning department said the funds could be higher with each panchayat and urban local body receiving additional performance grants apart from the basic grants when the corporators and sarpanches are elected.

Under the 14th Finance Commission (2015-2020), the Centre had allocated Rs 4,161 crore but the money remained blocked due to the rider by the Union Finance Ministry that only the elected urban local bodies and rural local bodies (panchayati raj institutions) will get the grant to strengthen the grassroots democratic institutions.

The Finance Commission had proposed Rs 3,117.36 crore for the rural local bodies (panchayats) and Rs 1,044.51 crore for the urban local bodies.

“To understand what the state has lost due to the delay, it is important to visit the villages. Basic infrastructure such as roads and lanes are in a bad state due to the shortage of funds. For small works in rural areas, we have to approach the MLA or the Deputy Commissioner who mostly allocate on favouritism,” alleged Dev Raj, former sarpanch of Baspur Bangla village in RS Pura. He was the sarpanch from 2001 to 2011.

Although mainstream political parties like the Peoples Democratic Party and the National Conference have boycotted the elections, people are looking forward to taking part in the polls.

The BJP is hoping to get a fresh lease of life through the elections in the state.

Chairman, Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party, Harsh Dev Singh said: “The delay in the elections has affected the democratic process in the state. The municipalities and committees have no funds. People should participate in the election process in high numbers as funds from 2015 onwards have already got lapsed.”

There are a total of 1,145 wards and 16,97,291 voters in the municipal corporations of Jammu and Srinagar and councils and committees across the state. There are a total of 316 panchayat blocks with 4,490 panchayat halqas. The elections will be held to 35,096 panch constituencies and 58,12,429 eligible voters. The total electorate in Jammu and Kashmir is 75,09,720.

“Unless the institutions are there, the funds cannot be utilised. People are suffering because the elected civic institutions are not there,” said Shafiq Mir, former sarpanch from Rajouri.

The urban local bodies elections were held in 2005 under the PDP-Congress government led by late Mufti Mohammad Sayeed. They completed their term in 2010.

The panchayat elections were held in 2011 when Omar Abdullah was heading the National Conference-Congress government and the panchayats completed their term in 2016.

Lapse in grants

• Under the 14th Finance Commission (2015-2020), the Centre had allocated Rs 4,161 crore but the money remained blocked due to the rider by the Union Finance Ministry that only the elected urban local bodies and rural local bodies (panchayati raj institutions) will get the grant to strengthen the grassroots democratic institutions
• The Finance Commission had proposed Rs 3,117.36 crore for the rural local bodies (panchayats) and Rs 1,044.51 crore for the urban local bodies