J&K govt not interested in establishing Panchayati Raj: AJKPC

An apex body of Panchayats alleged that J&K govt is "not sincere" in its efforts to protect Panches and Sarpanches.

Jammu: An apex body of Panchayats on Wednesday alleged that Jammu and Kashmir government is "not sincere" in its efforts to protect Panches and Sarpanches and wanted them to resign to bring an end to the institution`s functioning in the state. "The state government is not sincere in providing security to Panches and Sarpanches as they don`t want to establish Panchayati Raj system in J&K," Chairman, All Jammu and Kashmir Panchayat Conference (AJKPC), Shafiq Mir said. "Five Panches and Sarpanches have been killed in the last one year and till now government has not been able to find out the killers of even one of them. They want that Panches and Sarpanches should resign under threat so that this institution ends once and for all in the state," Mir alleged. The agitated Panches and Sarpanches here today protested against the killing of Javed Ahmed Wani, a sarpanch affiliated to the National Conference in Baramulla district, who was killed by the suspected militants on Sunday. They tried to march towards the Civil Secretariat but were dispersed by the police personnel and were not allowed to move forward. Mir said that if the government failed to implement 73rd amendment of Indian Constitution and empowered the Panches and Sarpanches, the outfit will continue its protest demonstrations. Meanwhile, general secretary of the organisation Anil Sharma said that they won`t resign from their posts and instead will fight for their rights. "If the government thinks that we will fear and resign they are wrong, we won`t do it and fight for our genuine rights," Sharma said. PTI