Formal sanction accorded to establishment of DPDBs, BDCs
After 30 yrs, Panchayati Raj Act set to be implemented in totality
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Aug 2: Paving the way for establishment of remaining two tiers of the Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs), Government today abolished all the District Development Boards and accorded formal sanction for the constitution of Block Development Councils and District Planning and Development Boards in all the blocks and districts of the State.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that as the Governor’s Administration is committed to strictly implement Jammu and Kashmir Panchayati Raj Act, 1989 as amended from time to time by establishing Block Development Councils (BDCs) and District Planning and Development Boards, it has felt it imperative to abolish District Development Boards.
“This is because the existing guidelines of the DDBs don’t provide for any transfer of funds or responsibility to Block Development Councils or to the Halqa Panchayats as these tiers of local Government had not been in existence in the State earlier”, they further said.
The Government had, in the year 1976, introduced the concept of single-line administration and created the District Development Boards with a view to lend speed to the development programmes by decentralizing planning and involving the people with the same. Since then the District Development Boards continued to form the framework of planning and programme implementation at the district level.
The issue of abolition of District Development Boards was debated upon in the Committee of Secretaries meeting chaired by the Chief Secretary BVR Subrahmanyam early this month and accordingly the Finance Department was directed to move an appropriate proposal in this regard for the approval of the competent authority.
The proposal vis-à-vis abolition of District Development Boards was approved by the State Administrative Council (SAC) headed by Governor Satya Pal Malik in its meeting held on July 30, 2019 and formal order in this regard was issued by the Financial Commissioner, Finance Department Dr Arun Kumar Mehta today.
After the constitution of the District Planning and Development Boards, the functions hitherto performed by the District Development Boards will be subsumed by the former and the Block Development Councils and the Halqa Panchayats will perform the functions mandated/assigned to them.
“It is for the first time that Jammu and Kashmir Panchayati Raj Act, 1989 will be implemented in totality as Block Development Councils and District Planning and Development Boards were never constituted during the past 30 years even after holding of elections to the Panchayats”, sources said.
As per J&K Panchayati Raj Act, the powers and functions of the Block Development Council shall include constructions, maintenance and supervision of Inter-Halqa Panchayat communication system; administrative and technical guidance to Halqa Panchayats and review of their work; to supervise plans relating to agriculture, rural development, animal husbandry/sheep husbandry, social forestry, education and public health; supervise and monitor the implementation of poverty alleviation programmes like Integrated Rural Development Programme, National Rural Employment Programme, Rural Landless Employment Guarantee Programme; undertake measures for effective supervision and monitoring of various developmental programmes.
The BDCs will also carry out such other functions as may be entrusted to it by the Government or by the District Planning and Development Board.
The District Planning and Development Board shall have the powers and functions to consider and guide the formulation of development programmes for the district and indicate priorities for various schemes and consider issues relating to the speedy development and economic upliftment of the district; to review periodically progress and achievements of developmental plans and schemes and make recommendations as it considers appropriate; to function as a working group for formulation of periodic and annual plans for the district; to formulate and finalize the plan and non-plan budget for the district; to lay down the policy guidelines for the Block Development Councils and Halqa Panchayats; to approve the budget of the Block Development Councils and supervise and coordinate their work; to undertake special measures for alleviating poverty and employment generation and extending assistance to Halqa Panchayats in this behalf.
The District Planning and Development Board will also promote and assist co-operative institution; to perform such other functions and duties as may be assigned or entrusted to it by the Government from time to time.
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