State Youth Congress President Mohammad Shahnawaz Choudhary led the march from Pradesh Congress Headquarters at Maulana Azad Road in the heart of the city to demand more powers to panches and sarpanches.
However, the marchers were stopped by police at Regal Chowk and asked to disperse but they remained adamant to march to the office of Srinagar District Magistrate to submit a memorandum of their demands which included extension of 73rd and 74th Constitutional amendment pertaining to Panchayati Raj to Jammu and Kashmir.
Meanwhile, Parliamentary Affairs and Panchayati Raj Minister Ali Mohammad Sagar said the mechanism for implementation of provisions of the Panchayati Raj Act have already been put in place to ensure empowerment of Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) in the state.
He was addressing a gathering of panches and sarpanches in Kulgam district of south Kashmir.
"The government has fulfilled its promise of democratic decentralisation of powers to the grass root levels (by successfully holding panchayat elections after a gap of over 20 years in the state)," Sagar said.
