Lashing out at the Jammu and Kashmir government for its failure to empower Panchayats with 73rd amendment and for discriminating with Jammu region in providing model villages, opposition parties today triggered ruckus and staged a walkout from the Legislative Assembly.
During the Question Hour in the Assembly, Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) members Jugal Kishore Sharma and Ashok Khajuria raised the issues of security and empowerment of Panchayats by incorporating 73rd amendment of the Indian Constitution in the state and questioned state government's failure in implementing it.
Unsatisfied by the reply of Minister for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, Ali Mohammad Sagar, the BJP members held protests and later staged a walkout from the House.
"We have raised the issue of incorporation of 73rd amendment of Panchayati Raj Act in the state in order to empower the panchayats in decision making and financial matters-- but the government has failed to empower them till now", Jugal told reporters outside Assembly.
While the Panchayats are fully empowered in rest of the country with financial and decision making powers and they are directly funded by the Centre, however, J&K Panchayats have been deprived of such facilities, Jugal said.
"The government has ignored our demand for reply on the issue of empowerment of panchayats as they are not keen to empower this institution", he said adding "they have not also been provided security as they become targets of the militants".