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J&K govt raises auction powers of Panchayats

KT NEWS SERVICE. Dated: 9/12/2018 12:01:22 PM

SRINAGAR, Sep 11: J&K government Tuesday enhanced the powers of rural local self-government bodies to auction the Panchayat properties like plants/tress on Panchayat lands, area for parking, grazing areas, fish from Panchayat ponds etc.
The powers of Panchayats have been enhanced through an amendment of the Rule 59 of J&K Panchayati Raj Rules 1996.
According to a spokesman of the state’s Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Department, the Panchayats would now be able to conduct auction up to Rs 1 lakh, Block Development Committees (BDCs) up to Rs 2.50 lakh and District Planning and Development Board (DDB) up to Rs 5 lakh as against a meagre Rs 10000 for Panchayats, Rs 25000 for BDCs and Rs 1 lakh for DDBs earlier.
The spokesman said that the funds so generated shall form part of “Own Resources” of the local rural self-government bodies and shall be spent by them in the development of the Panchayats as per the procedure prescribed in the Rules.
The spokesman said that today’s SRO regarding augmentation of the powers of Panchayats is only a small step in the process of empowerment of rural self-governance institutions and more such measures having larger consequences and giving lot more authority to Panchayats shall follow.