Panchayats across Punjab are upping the ante against state government over their demand of vesting more financial powers with them. Sarpanchs and panchayat members have started a two-day protest against state government under the panchayat union of the state from Monday.
Gurmeet Singh, state president of the union, said villages were the backbone of any state, but the Punjab government had ignored them.
He added that under the present financial rules, panchayats are allowed to use funds of only ₹25,000 on their own for development purposes. “For ₹1 lakh, we need panchayat secretary to sign on the cheque. We want this power ,” he said, adding that the union also wants the government to increase monthly the monthly salary of sarpanches to ₹25,000 from the present ₹1,200.