J-K govt approves Rs 55.50cr to strengthen Panchayat Raj

In its effort to strengthen the Panchayati Raj System, Jammu and Kashmir government has approved the annual plan 2013-14 under Rajiv Gandhi Panchayat Sashaktikaran Abhiyan (RGPSA) to the tune of Rs 55.50 crore for funding.
The plan was approved by the State level High Powered Committee headed by Chief Secretary Mohammad Iqbal Khanday which met here yesterday, an official spokesman said.
The spokesman said the State Panchayat Resource Centres (SPRCs) and District Panchayat Resource Centres (DPRCs) are planned to be established under RGPSA in various Districts.
Moreover, Rs 50,000 will be provided to each Halqa Panchayat for various services including street Lighting, sanitation under the Scheme, the spokesman said.

For administrative and technical support to Panchayats, the spokesman said services of four member team comprising Panchayat Development officer, Accountant Cum Data Entry Operator, Panchayat Sahayak and Junior Engineer are needed under the scheme.
"As such the total requirement of personnel for data entry operator is 2064 with a target of 518 operators during the current financial year and placement of 1032 Panchayat Sahayaks," the spokesman said.
Besides administrative and technical support to Panchayats, RGPSA also envisages a range of activities such as, Panchayat infrastructure support, capacity building and training of elected representatives (ERs) and other functionaries, upgradation of institutional structures that provide training and capacity building to PRIs, promotion of active gram sabhas, e-enabled Panchayats, appropriate accounting procedures and accountability processes such as social audit, the spokesman said.