Village Heads' Crucial Role Amid The Covid Pandemic In Jammu And Kashmir

This Eid-Ul-Adha, all village heads are playing a very crucial role in Jammu and Kashmir. Not only are they asking people to maintain social distance during the run up to the festival but are also conveying to everyone to offer namaz in their household.

"In North Kashmir side Bandipora, Kupwara and Baramulla we have sought assistance of sarpanches and panches to try to convince people to offer namaz in their homes only as no one would be allow to offer prayers in masjid," Inspector General (Kashmir) Vijay Kumar told NDTV.

According to him, in South and Central Kashmir, the police has also taken the assistance of imams and NGOs. "In these two districts people tend to listen to imams so we have requested them to announce from masjids so that crowds don't gather in masjids," he adds.

The Jammu Kashmir report cards, which reach North Block, also state that during this pandemic, grassroot governance in the newly-crafted Union Territory has played a very crucial role. "The elected representatives are enthused with new vigour to discharge their duties in an unparalleled manner," a senior bureaucrat in the government discloses. 

According to him these representatives have been able to usher in a new age of connectivity between the people. "Each tier of governance has been given adequate funds so that they can develop their areas," he adds.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his last Mann Ki Baat programme, too had appreciated efforts of two women sarpanchs of Jammu and Kashmir and a MC president for their earnestness and dedication towards coronavirus control measures in their respective areas.

Balbir Kaur, the sarpanch of Gram Panchayat Treva in Arnia of Jammu district, which is close to the International Border with Pakistan, got a 30-bed quarantine centre constructed in her panchayat. Not only that, proper arrangements for water on roads leading to the panchayat were made due to the efforts of the sarpanch. 

The PM had further appreciated the efforts of the sarpanch for carrying a spray pump on her shoulders for the sanitisation of her entire panchayat. 

PM Modi also spoke about dedication of sarpanch Zaitoona Begum who decided to take care of the income opportunities of villagers by providing to them crop seeds and apple saplings to increasingly mitigate any hardships and inconvenience in farming and horticulture activities. She arranged and distributed free masks and free ration among the people in the vicinity. 

"They have been our eyes and ears in covid times. Even now they have been helping is informing us of critical issues," District Collector (Udhampur) Piyush Singhla told NDTV.

Mr Singhla gives the example of the sarpanch of Dhanori in his district. "Anuradha Rani during Covid pandemic provided ration to the needy people and also arranged community kitchen for the more than 900 stranded labourers," he adds.

To boost up health services further amid the pandemic, the Jammu and Kashmir administration has also decided to create a quarantine centre at every block level and for that the UT administration is giving funds directly to the Block Development Councillors.

"Adequate funds are going to be given to each BDC so that they can operate a proper hygienic quarantine centre in their blocks," Secretary (Rural Development) Sheetal Nanda told NDTV.

Also, as a recognition of their courage and commitment to democracy, the centre has extended a cover of Rs 25 lakh for any elected Sarpanch/panch/BDC chairperson who dies due to a terrorism-related incident in order to safeguard their families from facing deprivation and poverty in case of any untoward incident. "This has provided the much needed sense of security to these elected representatives," explains an officer.

This decision by the Jammu and Kashmir administration comes after a month when Congress sarpanch Ajay Pandita was shot dead by terrorists in south Kashmir's Anantnag district.