Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 14: All Jammu and Kashmir Panchayat Conference today slammed newly elected District Development Council (DDC) members for demanding better status as well as honorarium instead of addressing the problems being faced by masses.
Talking to media-persons at R S Pura today, AJKPC general secretary Gurdeep Singh Saini (Sarpanch) while lauding the Central Government’s efforts to strengthen grass root democracy in Jammu and Kashmir, said that the general public had elected DDCs so that they would address the public problems and raise their issues at the higher level. But instead of engaging with the people and addressing their problems, the members are demanding protocol and hike in their honorarium.
Saini warned if the Government succumbed to their demands, the AJKPC will launch mass agitation. He said Sarpanchs and Panchs had been demanding hike in monthly honorarium for the last more than two and half years but the Government has not paid any heed towards the issues of Panchayat members.
AJKPC leader said the Government must address the issues of Ist tier of Panchyat Raj system including Sarpanchs and Panchs, followed by second tier of the system comprising of Block Development Councils (BDCs) and then consider demands of DDCs.
Saini alleged that protest by DDC members proves their selfishness. They have completely deviated from their prime duty to serve the masses. Moreover, Sarpanchs and Panchs are performing much more tasks, than the BDCs or DDCs. He said if the demands of the BDCs and the DDCs were addressed, then Sarpanch should also be given the status at par with the SDM. District president, AJKPC for Jammu, Surjit Choudhary also spoke on the occasion.
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