Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Nov 9: The District Development Council (DDC) members of Ganderbal, including its Vice-Chairman, were not invited today to the first district review meeting chaired by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who is also the Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for the constituency.
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As a mark of protest, DDC Chairperson Nuzhat Ishfaq, who was invited, chose not to attend, calling it an “insult” to the Council.
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The Chairperson noted that while she was invited, other members were not, despite being representatives of the people and overseeing most developmental projects in Ganderbal.
“I had requested the CM’s Advisor to invite the Council, but that didn’t happen; I did not attend because my members were not respected,” she said.
Speaking to reporters, Vice-Chairman DDC Ganderbal Sheikh Bilal expressed disappointment, saying that with an elected Government in place, he expected their rights to be respected and their voices heard in addressing local issues.
“The way the MLA is elected by votes, DDC members are also elected by the people. This situation is unfortunate, as we understand ground issues and could have provided valuable insights at the meeting,” he added.
He further said that after August 5, 2019, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister and Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha established a three-tier Panchayati Raj System to ensure grassroots empowerment and address issues effectively.
“With a democratic Government in place, we expected our rights to be acknowledged. Previously, we used to question the LG; now, we have our own Government in place. Yet, neither I nor the members were invited, depriving us of a chance to raise people’s issues before officials,” he added.
Alleging that only a single party was being promoted, the Vice-Chairman urged intervention from the Prime Minister, Home Minister, and the LG to strengthen Panchayati Raj Institutions in Jammu & Kashmir. “Government cooperation is essential to ensure that people’s issues are addressed more effectively.”
He accused the Government of sidelining the institution, emphasizing that the meeting, as the first of its kind, would have benefitted from the DDC members’ participation, which, he said, could support the Government in resolving public issues.
He also mentioned that the Chief Minister recently inaugurated a bridge in Shalabugh, where he was similarly not invited. “When I inquired with the authorities, I was told they were following instructions from the CM’s office.”
The members noted that during the LG’s outreach programs in the district, attended by Union Ministers and Secretaries, they were actively involved. “We also met with the European delegation as representatives.”
“If they intend to sideline this institution, they might as well render the three-tier system defunct and hold new elections, or decide on what they want to do,” he said.
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