Nishikant Khajuria
REASI, Dec 19: As the last phase of polling for the first ever DDC elections in Jammu and Kashmir came to an end today, voters were hopeful that outcome of this democratic exercise would lead to redressal of all their general grievances.
Besides the developmental issues, a number of voters pinned their hopes on the elected representatives for ensuring employment, restoration of 4G mobile service, lifting of ban on mining and even an end to monkey menace in their area.
Braving chilly weather, there was heavy rush in front of polling booths of Reasi DDC constituency, which went to polls today. Long queues of the people, including men and women were seen in front of polling booths from early morning.
At various polling booths, voters had started gathering even before 7 am to exercise their franchise as early as possible. The enthusiasm among voters could be gauged from the fact that even old aged persons had also come in large numbers to cast their vote and were seen in queues for their turn.
Majority of voters were hopeful that this election’s outcome would address their general grievances. A 32 years old voter, namely Mukesh Kumar at polling station Seela, wished that the elected representatives would immediately try to solve the issue of ban on mining activities at river beds as livelihood of thousands of families was linked with this activity and they were now jobless due to the ban.
Som Raj (32 years) and Veero Ram (29 years) from Seela area of Reasi DDC constituency also said that this ban had brought lot of misery to them. They said the ban on mining has largely affected daily wage earners who are totally dependent on mining activities. “Administration, which has put a ban on mining, is least bothered about the problems of commoners whose families are at the verge of starvation due to no work,” they added.
Several other voters at Seela polling station and Vijaypur polling station also termed mining as a major issue in this DDC election and hoped that the elected representative would resolve this issue as all the candidates had promised to get the issue resolve on top most priority.
Some voters at Polling Station Bhaga, including Aman Sharma (34 years), Bodh Raj (56 years) and Mohd Hussain (60 years) said that they voted overwhelmingly with the hope that decades long discrimination with them would be over with the formation of District Development Council as DDC will have its own working mechanism. “Moreover, we will not have to knock the doors of the Government officials repeatedly as District Development Council will have the powers to frame the developmental plans keeping in view the problems of the territorial constituencies”, they said.
The voters in Panassa and Bhaga hoped that the new representatives would solve their issues like irrigation water, better road and electricity etc. They also expressed concern over growing monkey menace in the area saying that their crops are being destroyed by the monkeys and now they hope that local representatives will work for a solution to this problem also.
At Vijaypur polling station, 32 years old Naresh Kumar, who is MCA pass out, said that youth were eagerly looking for employment opportunities since long. He expressed hope that winning candidates would do something in this regard so that youth may get jobs at the local levels. “In other areas, whenever some big projects are initiated, employment is first given to locals by companies, which use local resources including water, electricity and even pollute the area. But in Reasi, the Shrine Board, SMVDU and the companies engaged in railway work hire people from outside the district. We want the winning candidate highlight this issue before the administration and ensure justice to locals,” he explained.
Lifting of ban on 4G mobile service after DDC elections was another hope of some youth, who excitedly participated in the battle of ballot expecting that the winning candidate must understand the need of 4G internet for students and others and do something for the redressal of this `bigger’ issue.
An elderly voter at polling station Bhaga said: “We have been told by our younger generation that with the formation of District Development Council, we will not have to pay visit to the office of Deputy Commissioner or other district level officers for redressal of our issues. If this will happen in real sense, our basic problems will get resolved in a short span of time”.
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