Excelsior Correspondent
RAMNAGAR, June 22: Expressing grave concern over the highly pathetic political scenario in the State with elected representatives fighting for their own perks and privileges in the Assembly, National Panthers Party leader and former minister Harsh Dev Singh regretted that with increasing woes, the common man was left at the mercy of God.
He deplored that while the burning issues of general public had receded into the oblivion, the MLAs had forged unity inside the Legislature irrespective of their political affiliations for enhanced powers and perks.
Addressing huge public meetings at Marta and Dheeran villages of Ramnagar constituency today, Harsh Dev observed that rather than agitating the genuine concerns of their electorates and ensuring redressal of their grievances, the MLAs chose to forge unity thereby putting pressure on the Govt for enhancement of their salaries, perks and CDF. He said that later the MLAs regardless of their political affiliations submitted a memorandum to the Chief Minister seeking subsidized residential plots for themselves along with enhanced perks and privileges. Yesterday also, the MLAs cutting across the party lines created ruckus in the Assembly seeking enhanced powers for themselves. He said this session witnessed the elected representatives repeatedly joining hands to fight for their own interests rather than agitating the woes of the common man.
Expressing concern over the strange conduct of the Legislators, who are supposed to be role models, Mr Singh regretted the relinquishment by them of the solemn pledges made by them to their electorates at the time of elections. Castigating the BJP MLAs in particular he said that while they had failed to agitate on the issue of imposition of service tax on pilgrimage to Mata Vaishno Devi, Dogra certificate to Jammu youth, roll back of new Industrial policy, critical condition of power, ration and water supply in Jammu region, they were on the fore front of protests in the Assembly for promotion of their personal interests.
Questioning the moral authority of legislators demanding pay hike, perks, plots, enhanced CDF and more powers, Harsh Dev said that the MLAs should ask for constitution of a commission for the purpose and should rather insist for more powers to the local bodies including Municipalities and Panchayats as a measure of democratic decentralization as assured by them during elections. He said if legislators had agitated on the issue of enhancement of daily rate of wages of Rs 150 per day, which had remained un-reviewed for last several years, it would have been appreciable.
Pointing towards the mis-utilization of CDF by certain legislators, as recently reported in the media, Mr Singh called for strict vigil in the use of the said discretionary grant. He pointed out that MLA Ramnagar had spent only Rs 23 lakh till date out of Rs 187 lakh released by the Planning Deptt.
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