MUZAFFARABAD: The Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) government has notified honorarium and other privileges for the heads and deputy heads of local government (LG) institutions to “fulfil their long-pending demand.”

According to an official handout, the move covers chairmen, vice-chairmen, mayors and deputy mayors of district councils, municipal corporations, municipal committees and town committees.

A notification issued by the Local Government and Rural Development (LG&RD) Department said the honorarium and other privileges had been set according to the revenue of the respective LG institutions.

It made it clear that the honorarium and other privileges will be paid by the respective institutions from their own income (self-generated revenue), and no additional funds or grant will be sought from the government for this purpose.

According to the notification, those institutions with an annual income exceeding Rs20 million were placed in Category I, those earning Rs10–20 million in Category II, Rs5–10 million in Category III, Rs1–5 million in Category IV, and less than Rs1 million in Category V.

The monthly honorarium for the heads and deputy heads of these bodies will be Rs100,000 and Rs50,000 in Category I; Rs75,000 and Rs40,000 in Category II; Rs50,000 and Rs30,000 in Category III; Rs30,000 and Rs20,000 in Category IV; and Rs20,000 and Rs10,000 in Category V.

Under the approved privileges, the heads of Category I institutions will be entitled to a travel facility (vehicle) equivalent to that of a BPS-20 officer, along with a daily allowance of Rs3,000 and room rent during travel to other cities, and house rent of Rs50,000 if official residence is not available, while the travel allowance of deputy heads will be equivalent to that of a BPS-17 officer.

Heads of Category II institutions will receive travel facilities (vehicle) and allowances equivalent to those of a BPS-19 officer, along with a daily allowance of Rs3,000 and room rent during travel to other cities, and house rent of Rs20,000, while their deputies will be entitled to travel allowance equivalent to that of a BPS-17 officer.

Heads of Category III institutions will be entitled to travel facilities equivalent to those of a BPS-18 officer and house rent of Rs10,000, while the travel allowance of the head and deputy head will be equivalent to those of BPS-17 and BPS-16 officers, respectively.

Heads of Category IV and V institutions will be entitled to travel facilities equivalent to those of a BPS-17 officer and travel and daily allowances equivalent to those of a BPS-16 officer.

All of them will be entitled to free medical treatment for themselves and their families within AJK, and a telephone at their residence. However, those in categories I and II will have an additional service of a cook at their residence until the end of their term.

The decision followed the recommendations of a committee led by LG&RD Minister Chaudhry Amir Yasin and formed under the guidance of Prime Minister Raja Faisal Mumtaz Rathore.

The handout said elected LG representatives had been pressing the government for the determination of honorarium and other benefits since the conclusion of the LG elections held in three phases in November–December 2022.

Negotiations between LG representatives and cabinet members had continued for the past two years, culminating in the formal notification issued by the LG&RD Department, it added.

In a statement, the LG&RD minister said strengthening the LG system would create a healthy competition among these institutions on the one hand and improve service delivery in the state on the other.

“The government is committed to resolving the issues of these institutions on a priority basis to make the system more effective.”

Published in Dawn, March 8th, 2026