All Jammu and Kashmir Panchayat Conference (AJKPC)—a frontline body of elected Panchayat members—on Saturday urged the Lieutenant Governor Girish Chandra Murmu to allow all Panchayat members for utilization of Rs 5 lakh each from 14th Finance Commission funds to provide free ration to needy and poor people in rural areas at this time of crisis.
“The funds for carrying out development activities under 14th Finance Commission are still lying with around 4,000 Panchayats across Jammu and Kashmir. In wake of the prevailing crisis and ongoing lockdown due to Corona virus in rural areas, the poor families and MGNREGA workers in villages are badly affected and they need immediate help of the government,” Anil Sharma, UT president of AJKPC said in a statement issued here.
Sharma said that the people in rural areas had religiously been following the directives of the Prime Minister while observing 21 days lockdown. “The AJKPC and the elected Panchayat members too have been asking people to stay home to ensure social distancing to effectively fight against the Corona virus. It is the responsibility of the government and elected Panchayat members to ensure that no poor family should face starvation,” the AJKPC president said
Welcoming the constitution of Covid-19 management committees, the AJKPC leader said that the Awareness and Monitoring Committees (AMCs) at block and Panchayat level would definitely bring the desired results. “While the Panchayat members should be given the permission to utilize at least Rs 5 lakh out of available 14th Finance Commission in their respective Panchayats should be given the task to identified needy families and MGNREGA workers who are worst affected due to current lockdown so that they are benefitted out of these funds”.
“After the identification of these families, the Panchayat members can purchase ration of full month including 15 kg rice, 15 kg Atta, 3 kg pulses, oil, salt and other food items to provide free of cost to needy people so that this lockdown does not affect their day-to-day life much. We are not asking for any new funds for this purpose but we should be allowed to use available funds of 14th Finance Commission for the purpose,” the AJKPC leader said.
Sharma also informed that around 40,000 Sarpanch and Panch members of J&K Panchayat are actively working on ground to strictly enforce the lockdown called by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi to fight against the Covid-19.
“They are ensuring cent percent social distancing at their respective Panchayat members. They have also kept a close watch on the people having travel history in their Panchayats so that no suspect is left behind from being quarantined,” he said.