District Legal Services Authority Bhaderwah organized awareness programme on Jammu and Kashmir Panchayati Raj Act, 1989 in the premises of Block Development Office Bhaderwah here today . Pr District and Sessions Judge Bhaderwah and Chairman DLSA Doda district Ashok Kumar Shavn was Chief guest on the occasion whereas Member Secretary DLSA Sushel Singh , Block Development Officer Sourab Sharma was special guest and Advocate Mohd Majdi Malik was resource person on the occasion. The one day awareness programme was organised on the direction of SLSA J&K and was also attended by PRIs of block Bhaderwah and Bhalla . Speaking on the occasion Chairman DLSA Ashok Kumar Shavan said the Jammu and Kashmir Panchayati Raj Act, 1989 provides for the Constitution of Halqa Panchayats, Block Development Councils and the District Planning and Development Boards and matters connected therewith. He also said that it is expedient to promote and develop Panchayati Raj in the UT as an instrument of vigorous local Self Government to secure the effective participation of the people in the decision making process and for over-seeing implementation of developmental programmes. Resource person Advocate Mohd Majid Malik informed that the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has amended the Jammu and Kashmir Panchayati Raj Act, 1989, omitting a provision requiring payment of honorarium to panches and sarpanches (village head) in the newly created Union Territory. He said the amended law also says that Halqa Panchayat shall be required to get its accounts audited by a chartered accountant every year. Halqa means the area comprising a village or contiguous number of villages determined by the government, he added and said the amended provisions of the 1989 Act say that the Halqa Panchayat may employ necessary staff for carrying out duties but “Halqa Panchayat shall pay remuneration to such staff out of its own resources. Advocate Mohd Majid Malik said the amendment also paves way for creation of District Development Councils in the Union Territory (UT). The DDCs will have jurisdiction over the entire district excluding those areas designated as municipality or municipal corporation.
“Every district will be divided into 14 territorial constituencies to elect members for the body. The DDC shall consist of the directly elected members from territorial constituencies in the district, members of the Legislative Assembly representing a part or whole of the district whose constituencies lie within the district and the Chairperson of all Block Development Councils of the district,” the order, issued after the amendments, reads, resource person added .He also informed that all members of the DDC, whether or not elected by direct election from territorial constituencies in the district, shall have the right to vote in the meeting of the District Development Council but the MLAs will have no voting rights in the case of election or removal of the Chairman and vice-chairman only the directly elected members shall have the right to vote, he further added.
The Chenab Times News Desk