LLadakh’s village heads, locally known as ‘Gobas’, are in for a major financial boost; their monthly emoluments being increased more than three-fold from Rs 1,500 to Rs 5,000 after Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena approved the long-pending revision on Monday.
The over 233 per cent hike, the first revision in a decade, will benefit 247 Nambardars across the Union Territory and comes days after a delegation of village heads sought an increase, citing their growing responsibilities at the grassroots.
Saxena said this move, apart from financially supporting the Nambardars, will strengthen participatory governance in Ladakh, which is crucial for sustainable and inclusive development in Ladakh.
During his visits to different villages across Ladakh, the LG had been receiving representations from the Nambardars regarding increasing their emoluments. Recently, on September 19, a delegation of Nambardars from different villages had also met the Lieutenant Governor and sought an increase in their emoluments, saying the existing amount was too low in view of the responsibilities performed by Nambardars.
Gobas occupy a key position at the grassroots level and serve as a bridge between the Government and villagers. Their responsibilities have assumed greater significance in recent years, with the increasing focus on last-mile delivery of public services and several community-led government initiatives, particularly in remote and geographically difficult areas of Ladakh. Their regular engagement with villagers enables them to communicate local requirements to the administration while also helping people understand and access various government initiatives.
The Lieutenant Governor emphasised that the enhancement in emoluments is, therefore, intended not only to provide greater financial support but also to acknowledge the responsibilities shouldered by Gobas in supporting administrative outreach, development activities and effective implementation of government programmes at the village level.
Interestingly, most of the water-related issues addressed by the Lieutenant Governor in various villages in recent times through his innovative methods were based on the actual input provided by these Gobas.
“The role of Gobas is crucial because they remain closely connected with the people and serve as a vital link between the administration and our villages, Saxena said.
The revised emoluments have been fixed under the provisions of the Jammu and Kashmir Lambardari Act, 1972 and the Jammu and Kashmir Lambardari Rules, 1980, as applicable to the Union Territory of Ladakh. The revised emoluments will come into force from the date of publication of the notification in the Official Gazette.
