Public Affairs and Governance
  • Year: 2016
  • Volume: 4
  • Issue: 2

Decentralisation and Panchayati Raj Institutions in Jammu and Kashmir: An Overview

Assistant Professor, Department of Public Policy and Public Administration, Central University of Jammu, Rahya Suchani (Bagla), District- Samba, Jammu and Kashmir-180043

*Corresponding author email id: govoindkjnu@gmail.com

Abstract

In the month of July 2016, Jammu and Kashmir Panchayati Raj Act, 1989, was amended, by the government of Jammu and Kashmir, hereby limiting the process of democratic decentralisation in the state. The main feature of Act is allowing the indirect elections of halqa panchayat (gram panchyat) head that is sarpanches by the panches, thus limiting the scope of participatory democracy1

Amendment to J&K Panchayati Raj Act will now allow indirect election of sarpanches, The Indian Express, 2 July 2016. Srinagar.

. The restrictions on people participation/representation and the new law have hampered the democratic decentralisation process of the state. As envisaged by Mahatma Gandhi, the institutions of grass-root democracy should be the harbinger of real democracy, but the new amendment in law has had a regressive impact on the democratic institution of the state. The paper manly focuses on decentralisation status and robustness of Panchayati Raj Institution of Jammu and Kashmir.

Keywords

Democracy, Decentralisation, Participatory governance, Single line, Administration, Planning, Panchayati Raj Act