Ranchi
Members of the State-Level Panchayat Sahayak Sangh took out a Lok Bhavan march in Ranchi on Wednesday, demanding resolution of their problems and implementation of their eight-point charter of demands.
The protesting panchayat assistants started the march from Morabadi in the form of a procession. Police stopped them on the way, following which the protesters raised slogans and submitted their memorandum to the magistrate present at the spot.
State president Chandradeep Kumar said panchayat assistants have been playing an important role in implementing various government welfare schemes and programmes and creating awareness among beneficiaries. They also assist in preparing beneficiary databases, organising participatory programmes and carrying out evaluation-related activities.
Despite their contribution, Kumar alleged that panchayat assistants feel neglected by the government.
“We also have families and children to support. With inflation rising, we are facing severe financial difficulties. The government is providing us only ₹2,500 as an incentive, which has made it extremely difficult to run our households,” he said.
He said panchayat assistants face several difficulties while carrying out their responsibilities and urged the government to consider their demands sympathetically.
Key Demands
The Panchayat Sahayak Sangh has put forward an eight-point charter of demands, including:
- Implementation of respectable and uniform honorarium for panchayat assistants.
- Removal of the mandatory requirement for annual Gram Sabha approval for continuing their engagement.
- 70% reservation for panchayat assistants in the recruitment process for Panchayat Secretaries.
- Provision of health and accident insurance benefits to panchayat assistants.
The protesters appealed to the government to address their demands at the earliest and provide relief from the difficulties they are currently facing.
