J&K govt looks towards Himachal

Jammu and Kashmir government, even as its sits on the horns of dilemma over 73rd constitutional amendment act, has decided to take a cue from states which have already extended this act and have been ranked among the model states. Interestingly, it looks towards a BJP-ruled state for inspiration.

For the purpose, a seven-member committee has been constituted to study the functioning of Panchayati Raj institutions and mechanism put in place for flow of funds to these institutions in Himachal Pradesh. The committee has been constituted as per the directions of Planning and development department, whose minister incharge is the Chief Minister Omar himself.

Notably Himachal was among those eight states where 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act was first extended in their tribal areas in 1996 after the Constitutional (73rd Amendment) Act 1992 came into force to provide constitutional status to the Panchayati Raj institutions on April 24, 1993.

The incorporation of 73rd constitutional amendment in J&K Panchayati Raj Act is a major bone of contention between the alliance partners National Conference and Congress. While the latter (mainly JKPCC president Prof Saif-ud-Din Soz) is asserting itself for its incorporation in J&K Panchayati Raj Act, NC has minced no words in conveying its disinterest for the same. For the purpose, the coalition government even constituted a cabinet sub-committee headed by the Chief Secretary whose recommendations are already out yet the issue is still far from being resolved. 

The 73rd Constitutional amendment Act aims to provide a 3-tier system of Panchayati Raj for all states having population of over 2 million, to hold Panchayat elections regularly every 5 years, to provide reservation of seats for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and women, to appoint a State Finance Commission to make recommendations as regards the financial powers of the Panchayats and to constitute District Planning Committee to prepare draft development plan for the district.

The 3-tier system of Panchayati Raj consists of village-level panchayats, block-level panchayats and district-level panchayats.

Powers and responsibilities are delegated to panchayats at the appropriate level. Among the powers and responsibilities included the preparation of plan for economic development and social justice, implementation of schemes for economic development and social justice in relation to 29 subjects given in the Eleventh Schedule of the Constitution.

They can levy, collect and appropriate taxes, duties, toll and fees.

Under the Act, Gram Sabha has been vested with powers for ownership of minor forest produce, development plans approval, selection of beneficiaries under various programmes, consultation on land acquisition, management of minor water bodies

control of mineral leases. It can regulate/prohibit sale of intoxicants, prevent alienation of land and restore unlawfully alienated land of STs, manage village markets, control money lending to STs, control institutions and functionaries in all social sectors.

As per the Government order No 159-GAD of 2012 dated February 2, 2012, the sanction was accorded to the constitution of Committee comprising Commissioner/Secretary to government, Rural Development Department, Director Area Planning, Planning & Development Department, Additional Secretary to government, Rural Development Department, Joint Director (AP), Planning & Development Department, Joint Director (Coord), Planning & Development Department, Deputy Director Budget, Finance Department and Member Secretary, MGNREGA, Rural Development Department to study the functioning of Panchayati Raj Institutions and mechanism put in place for flow of funds to these institutions.

As per the order, the committee members will visit Himachal Pradesh in the first week of February 2012 for a period of 4 days and submit a report to the Government in the Planning and Development Department.

Govt to probe adulterated milk supply

Jammu and Kashmir government has decided to investigate the matter related to adulterated milk being supplied in the entire state, particularly Kashmir valley.

Sources in divisional administration said that government has taken a serious note of the news report about the Food Safety Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) survey, which revealed that 83 percent of milk consumed by households in Jammu and Kashmir is adulterated, containing detergent and other hazardous substances.

The sources added that understanding the sensitivity of the issue, the concerned authorities have been directed to study the survey report and take all necessary action in preventing adulterated milk being supplied to Kashmir valley.

The sources also said that concerned agencies, consisting of Srinagar Municipal Corporation and director consumer and public distribution have  been asked to maintain tight vigil and check all the milk being supplied by different companies in the valley.

The government has also directed concerned departments to take legal action against those companies involved in supplying adulterated milk. “The issue is concerned with the health of people and no compromise would be made on their health,” the sources said.

A national study conducted by Safety Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has revealed that 83 percent of milk consumed by the people in the state is adulterated and has not only week nutritious value but has numerous other side effects to human health. 

The study has also revealed that hazardous substances like detergent, starch, sodar, Glucose and other substances are mixed with mild which are hazardous to human heath.  

In its first-ever national survey on milk adulteration 2011, the (FSSAI) has found that of the total 1,791 samples tested throughout the country, (including Jammu and Kashmir)   at least over 68 per cent i.e. 1,226 samples were either diluted with water or mixed with harmful detergent.

The situation was worse in states like Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Daman and Diu, Jharkhand, Orrisa, West Bengal and Mizoram where all the samples collected were found  contaminated or not conforming to the standards.

For instance, in Manipur 96 per cent samples were not conforming up to the standards, In Meghalaya it was 96 per cent, followed by Tripura (92 per cent), Gujarat (89 percent, Sikkim (89 percent), Uttrakhand (88 percent ), Uttar Pradesh (88percent), Nagaland (86 percent), Jammu and Kashmir (83 percent), and Punjab (81 percent).

In Rajasthan it was 76 percent followed by Delhi (70 percent), Haryana (70 percent), Arunachal Pradesh (68 percent), Maharashtra (65 percent), Himachal (59 percent, and Chandigarh (48 percent)

Except Goa and Poondicherry, where all the samples picked conformed to the standards, all other States including Delhi failed to meet the standards for milk.

Adulteration was widely prevalent in rural as well as urban areas in packed and loose milk both, samples of which were tested in the government's laboratories.

The snap shot survey was conducted with an aim to identify the common adulterants in milk in rural and urban areas in different states besides finding out the non-conforming samples in loose and packed milk throughout the country.