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Why can’t Panchayat Ghars act as agents of change?

Why can’t Panchayat Ghars act as agents of change?
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These institutions have failed to serve the purposes they have been established for

Mudasir Nazir Wani
Panchayati Raj plays an important role for the development at the grass root level if utilized in a constructive way. The term Panchayati Raj is a system in which gram panchayats are basic units of administration. It has been established in all the states of India by the acts of the state legislature to build democracy at grass-root level.
The government of India appointed Balwant Rai Mehta Committee in January 1957 to study the Community Development and National Extension Service programs, especially from the point of view of assessing the extent of popular participation and to recommend the creation of institutions through which such participation could be achieved. The Committee recommended the constitution of statutory elected local bodies with the necessary resources, power and authority devolved to them and a decentralized administrative system working under their control. Rajasthan was the first state to establish Panchayati Raj. The scheme was inaugurated by the then Prime Minister Jawahar Lal Nehru on Oct 2, 1959, in Nagaur district in Rajasthan.
Almost for the construction of every Panchayat Ghar in Kashmir, the Government has invested more than 20 Lakh for raising the infrastructure of every Gram Panchayat in a phased manner. New concrete Buildings have been constructed for Panchayat Ghars at the huge cost on the public exchequer.
But do they really serve back for what purposes they have been established, huge funds have been spent on the construction of Gram Panchayat’s which almost remained locked throughout the year except on few occasions or on the visit of concerned BDO’s or other officials once or twice a year during Gram Shabas.
Most of the year these Gram Panchayat’s remain hub for all the illegal activities be it smoking, gambling or for other immoral activities, In majority of the villages these Panchayat Ghars and their surrounding areas have turned dumping sites as most of the domestic garbage and wastage are being dumped in their surroundings or nearer to it just because Panchayat’s remain locked most of the year and are being opened only on few occasions for a mere show off.
The huge incidents of burning of Panchayat Ghar’s last year were reported from different parts of Kashmir, these are mostly the handwork of miscreant’s, only an insane person can think of that because these buildings are the asset for every village and can be used for various productive works which can benefit the village as a whole but unfortunately they remain mostly sealed throughout the year except on official visits which hardly took place not more than 10 times in a year..
Panchayat Ghar’s become easy targets as they remain ideal and locked throughout the year. Even after investing huge money these Panchayat’s look like century old structures without doors, broken windows and shabby looks.
The Government must utilize these Panchayat Ghars for the maximum benefits of the concerned villages and to ensure that money from public exchequer must be utilized in a very a constructive way.
The best what the government can do is to keep these Panchayat’s open throughout the year by establishing a small library cum news paper reading rooms in every Panchayat Ghar. It will help to make these Panchayat’s functional which mostly remain locked throughout the year and it will give people a reason to go there at least not for their individual motives rather people will assemble there to read the news papers and other reading materials available there.
Such initiatives can turn Panchayat Ghars into information and knowledge hub rather than the Aakhada for division on political lines. It’s the best constructive way to lure our youth towards these Panchayat ghars. ‘
The need of the hour is to turn Panchayat ghars into social institutions rather than the political institutions which mostly people can observe because of the non participation of people in the day to day affairs of these institutions..
It would be better if our Panchayat ghar’s will be surrounded by youth for information and knowledge purposes rather than surrounded by chain smokers, drunkards and other anti social elements.
The GRS Gram Rozjar Savak of every Panchayat Ghar or the Concerned Sarpunch should be assigned the job to look after the reading room in every Panchayat as well as this will help in upkeep of these buildings.


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