NPP demands district status for Billawar, Akhnoor

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, July 25:  Chairman of  the National Panthers Party (NPP), Harshdev Singh (MLA) has lambasted the Coalition Government for its attitude of delay over the creation of new administrative units in the State.
In a press statement issued here the NPP leader alleged that Government had  belied the hopes  and aspirations of the people of the State who had been repeatedly assured of time bound creation of new administrative units including new districts, tehsils, blocks, Panchayats and Patwar Halqas.
He said the issue was agitated in successive sessions of Legislative Assembly and on each occasion the Government had assured early action in the matter on the basis of report of the Committee constituted for the purpose.
He regretted that by neglecting the report of  Mushtaq Ganai Committee which had been prepared after three years of  strenuous exercise was indicative of highly biased and prejudicial approach of the Government towards the vital issue. He said entrusting the job after four years to Cabinet sub-committee revealed the intentions of the Coalition Government which seemingly was averse to apolitical recommendations made by the said committee.
While criticizing the ruling alliance for the highly unjustified  and biased decision, Mr Singh said that Baloria    Committee constituted in 2007 for the purpose which gave its report in 2009 had also met the same fate with the same Coalition Government. He said the Ganai committee had also extensive surveys and visited different parts of the State including remote areas during the past three years for identification of the deserving and eligible areas. A lot of effort and resources had gone into the preparation of the said report which unfortunately was discarded by a single stroke of pen, he regretted.
Cautioning the Government to refrain from playing politics over the issue, he sought creation of new administrative units strictly on merit rather than narrow parochial political considerations.  He demanded early creation of districts if Billawar, Akhnoor and tehsils for Basantgarh, Pancheri, Vijaypur, Purmandal, Jhour, Jindrah besides other deserving and eligible areas of Kashmir region.