Over the last few years they have worked tirelessly in collaboration and support of the Rural Development Department and as is visible from the ground, have made the villages progressive. For example, the villages have been connected by roads, footpaths, and drains have been constructed, and wherever found necessary retaining walls and culverts have been constructed. Despite the turmoil in Kashmir, many villages have been made model villages.

Panchayat Raj Act 1996 has made many responsibilities to the public representatives; that is panches and sarpanches. These are the public representatives chosen by the people at the grassroots level in a democratic system like members of legislative assemblies. Panches and sarpanches are elected by the voters for a particular ward.
In previous times these panches and sarpanches were having policy values. Their decision was acceptable to everyone. They were treated as policymakers. People having problems were knocking on their doors for the settlement of their disputes. People were feeling a sigh of relief when panches and sarpanches intervened in the matters of public. And the disputes were solved.
At the grassroots level, these public representatives are elected at the panchayat level comprising one or more than one village depending upon the population. Proper elections are held after every five years as per the guidelines of the Election Commission of India. These representatives after being elected are like policymakers for the progress of the panchayats. They have many responsibilities.
Over the last few years they have worked tirelessly in collaboration and support of the Rural Development Department and as is visible from the ground, have made the villages progressive. For example, the villages have been connected by roads, footpaths, and drains have been constructed, and wherever found necessary retaining walls and culverts have been constructed. Despite the turmoil in Kashmir, many villages have been made model villages.
The Rural Development Department is working very hard and this all is visible to the person who pays a visit to any village after a gap of three or four years and will definitely find that there is a change in the villages’ demography by way of progress has changed. Today’s villages are like colonies in European countries in our union territory, kudos to hard work of panches, sarpanches, and especially Block Development Officers.
Everything is good and as per procedure but people were of the opinion that panches and sarpanches must be literate then our villages will be more progressive and it is the need of the day that literate persons can do justice with their assigned jobs. Panches and sarpanches are our basic level ministers and at the village level, they are decision-makers regarding development works. In this regard government recently ordered that any person with intermediate qualification is eligible for this and he/she must be a permanent resident of the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir and must be registered in the voter list of that panchayat halqa. He/she must not be a convicted person nor a Lumbardar or Chowkidar of any village. He must not be a government employee.
Indeed, the government has taken the right decision at right time and it is expected that the system will be streamlined and good results will come out.

The writer is Incharge District Record Room Anantnag

Mohd Amin Mir