STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: The state government intends to empower Panchayats substantially so that democracy and development is taken to people deep in villages.
Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti said this after inaugurating 152 Panchayat Ghars of Jammu division electronically at Baran village in Balwal block here on Friday.
Terming village as a basic parameter of gauging the prosperity of a state, the CM said that rural empowerment is the key to development of J&K. It is her wish to develop villages as complete units of governance under Panchayati Raj, as the development of the State is incomplete without the development of villages, she stressed.
She said the Panchs and Sarpanchs, after the Panchayat elections, would be empowered enough so that they are able to resolve village issues at their level rather than taking them to district and secretariat levels.
The CM hoped that these 152 Panchayat Ghars, which have been built over a cost of Rs 31 crore, would be used as community assets in villages for extending IT facilities and other welfare programmes to people besides functioning as centres of local governance.
Responding to locals’ demands, the CM said feasibility of Chenab lift water supply scheme would be examined to address the drinking and irrigation water needs of the area. She directed the Rural Development Department to undertake revival and cleaning of all ponds in the area to enhance their water harvesting capacity and improve the water table of the area.
The CM also directed that the smart classrooms in schools should be made available to the people of the area after 04:00 PM to impart computer training to them. She also directed utilisation of Panchayat Ghars for extending computer literacy and IT enabled services to people of the catchment areas.
Earlier, in his address, Deputy Chief Minister Dr Nirmal Singh said the state government has vowed to unite people and regions by unleashing a developmental revolution all across the State.
Minister for Rural Development Department, Abdul Haq Khan and Minister for Health & Medical Education, Bali Baghat also addressed the gathering. Vice Chairman, J&K Kissan Board, Daljit Singh Chib and officers of divisional administration were also present on the occasion.