Neeraj Rohmetra
Jammu, Oct 25: Mushtaq Ganai Committee, which had been given the mandate of making detailed proposal for formation of New Administrative units, has recommended constitution of several new units in Kashmir Province, while ignoring pleas of people from Jammu region.
Official sources in Civil Secretariat, who have gone through the report, said, “the Committee had justified representations made by several people from Kashmir region but it has failed to pay any heed to demands of Jammu region”.
“The Committee, while acting under some political influence has strongly recommended that several tehsils of Kashmir region be upgraded to district status while as the same criterion hadn’t been applied to representations received from Jammu region”, sources said adding, “even at present several districts in Kashmir region have far lesser area and population than those on this side of Pir Panjal ranges”.
Sources further elaborated, “representations received from far-flung areas of Jammu region and even those from areas in Ladakh region, particularly from Kargil area have been totally ignored. Several people and even politicians belonging to these areas had submitted requests for creation of new administrative units and even upgradation of existing tehsils and blocks”.
“Political parties were also clearly divided on these recommendations and fear the fall-out of these biased recommendations in view of the forthcoming Assembly and Parliamentary elections”, sources said adding, “these issues had also surfaced in the Cabinet meeting on July 24, this year in which the Cabinet had thoroughly discussed the report of the Mushtaq Ganai Committee and the coalition partners jointly resolved to constitute a Cabinet Sub-Committee for holding further deliberations on the subject. Several Cabinet colleagues had aired apprehensions that the leakage of report would further strengthen the feeling of ‘discrimination’ among particular regions”.
Sources confirmed that Cabinet Sub-Committee, which has primarily been constituted to ‘diffuse’ and ‘delay’ the issue, has so far received 198 representations. Interestingly, several of these representations had been made by sitting and former legislators also.
The Sub-Committee, which is headed by Deputy Chief Minister, Tara Chand has several others members including Higher Education Minister, Akbar Lone, Planning and Development Minister, Ajay Sadhotra and Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Mir Saifullah, all from National Conference, Urban Development Minister Rigzin Jora and PHE, Irrigation and Flood Control Minister, Sham Lal Sharma, both Congress and Agriculture Minister Ghulam Hassan Mir (DPN).
“Most of representations received from public representatives pertained to constitution of blocks, niabats and tehsils and none of them have demanded a separate sub-division”, sources said adding, “all these recommendations had been forwarded to the Revenue Department, which will scrutinise each application on its merit and is likely to submit a detailed report by November end”.
Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah while laying the foundation stone of Baglihar-II project at Chanderkote in Ramban district on September 8 had categorically stated that the Cabinet Sub Committee would submit it report within 14 days and the Cabinet would thereafter take a final decision in next 20 days. “But, nothing has happened on ground and recently, the Cabinet Sub-Committee constituted was granted its fourth extension by the Cabinet on October 23”, sources remarked.
The Cabinet Sub-Committee, which was constituted on July 24, 2013, was given first extension by one month beyond August 24, 2013 on September 19, 2013 on the ground that suggestions and demands were invited for the creation of new administrative units. The second extension of two weeks beyond September 24 was given on September 28 on the ground that large numbers of suggestions were received and their examination would take time. Thereafter, the Cabinet Sub-Committee Chairman approved the proposal of extension in the period of submission of report up to October 25.
It is pertinent to mention here that on March 31, 2007 during Congress-PDP coalition Government eight new districts, three new sub divisions and 11 new tehsils were created vide Government Order No. Rev/S/115 of 2007. New districts included Kishtwar, Ramban, Reasi and Samba in Jammu region and Kulgam, Bandipora, Shopian and Ganderbal in Kashmir region.
The creation of new districts, sub divisions and tehsils had led to similar demands from other areas prompting the Government to constitute a committee headed by Dr S S Bloeria on July 31, 2006 named as ‘Demarcation of Geographical Boundaries of the Newly Created Administrative Units. The committee report remained inconclusive and the Government had set up another panel named `Committee for Examination of Demands of New Administrative Units’ headed by Mushtaq Ahmad Ganai.
It had submitted its report in July 2011 recommending fresh creation of Sub Divisions, 57 Tehsils, 63 CD blocks, 79 Niabats and 733 Patwar Halqas apart from rationalization/reorganization of existing Administrative Units. The implementation of the report involved financial implication to the tune of around Rs 800 crores including setting up of different offices at tehsil level and creation of around 5000 new posts.
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