Excelsior Correspondent
MAJALTA, Jan 23: JKNPP chairman and former minister Harsh Dev Singh today said that with the appointment of a Tamil Nadu cadre IAS officer as 4th Advisor to Governor, the Central Govt’s intentions to continue to run the State through its proxies had become more pronounced.
“It is unfortunate that rather than announcing early schedule for restoration of democratic rule and installation of popular Government in the State, the Centre is appointing its chosen ones from outside the State to head the administrative set up in J&K,” he said addressing largely attended public meetings in Chani and Dhamma villages of Ramnagar constituency, here today.
Singh said that peculiar situation in J&K could be handled only by those who had a connect with the general masses and were aware of the basic issues confronting the people of all three regions of the State. “The outside bureaucrats with hardly any knowledge of the history and geography of the State and its people could never do justice with the unusual and extra-ordinary positioning of the State,” he said and question that if at all the appointment of additional Advisors was deemed necessary, then why the local bureaucrats and intellectuals were being ignored.
Accusing the Government of India of having outsourced governance in the State by appointing non local bureaucrats as heads of State institutions, Mr Singh questioned the silence of the champions of special status of the State over the issue. “Where are those who were giving loud slogans and swearing in the name of Autonomy and ‘self rule’ day in and day out? Why don’t they speak for local Advisors in place of outside bureaucrats?” Questioned Singh.
Stating that Advisors were wholly dependent upon bureaucracy, Harsh Dev alleged that some corrupt officers were calling the shots.
Calling upon the party cadre to prepare for the ensuing elections, Singh said that the corrupt and criminal track record of the mandated leaders had amply paved the way for political change. “With development issues having been relegated to the background, the erstwhile regime had witnessed a deep rooted and all pervasive culture of corruption in the State,” he said and predicted that next elections would witness complete rout and decimation of opportunist parties like BJP and PDP.