Youngsters pin high hopes on DDC members
Ajay Raina
RAMBAN/DODA, Dec 13: They overwhelmingly participated in the battle of ballot for the District Development Council despite having doubts about fulfillment of promises made by the contesting candidates.
A number of elder voters, who turned out in large numbers to exercise their franchise in the DDC polls, were enthusiastic about only participation in the democratic exercise but not about its outcomes.
They were nursing this impression as the promises made with them by the politicians during all the previous elections were never fulfilled as a result of which they are still deprived of basic amenities.
Mohammad Amin Bhat of Sanghaldhan said, “no one will try to meet the expectations of people after winning the elections but I along with voters of my area are going to cast votes with the hope than one day those being elected by us would do justice with us”.
“It is because of non-fulfillment of promises by the politicians after winning the elections that we are still grappling with problems relating to scarcity of drinking water and irregular power supply”, another elderly voter Asadullah said, “we have large chunk of agriculture land, which we can’t cultivate due to non-availability of water”.
The elderly voters hoped District Development Councils being constituted for the first time in Jammu and Kashmir would be different from other institutions and their members would focus on issues of people with utmost seriousness.
“Let’s hope the promises made by the contesting candidates this time would become reality after formation of Councils”, people of Chiralla and Ghat areas of district Doda said after casting votes.
On the other hand, for the first time voters participation in the elections was like a dream come true and they have lots of expectations from the DDC polls.
There was hustle-bustle at a polling station at Government Higher Secondary School Thatharka. The school presented a joyous atmosphere with men, women, elders and gathering in large numbers either to cast their votes or to watch the democratic exercise.
“Casting vote means becoming part and parcel of the developmental activities,” Tanveer Ahmed Malik said, adding “I think that DDC will go a long way in overcoming the developmental deficit in our area”.
Shaheena Bano, a first time voter and newly married bride cast her vote at Government Middle School Dharamkund.
“I was in my in-laws house but my parents called me to cast my vote”, she said, adding deplorable condition of roads, water scarcity and long duration power cuts are the main issues, which people of her area face and she want elected candidate to make efforts to resolve these issues.
There was heavy gathering outside the schools designated as polling stations in the Sangaldhan and Gandhari constituencies with people discussing about the possible winner.
At these places also, the first time voters were seen enthusiastic and they had lots of expectations from the DDC members. “We have been conveyed by our elders that unlike MP or MLA, the DDC members would be easily approachable for resolution of our basic issues”, they added.
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