‘Should clear stand on Article 370-35 A’
Ritesh Gupta
JAMMU, Nov 11: District Development Committee (DDC), Chairperson Baramulla and Chairperson JK Hajj Committee, Safina Baig today took serious exception to the treatment meted out to DDC chairpersons and members in Kashmir Valley by the newly elected National Conference (NC) Government.
In an exclusive interview to Excelsior, Safina Baig said that the way the DDC Chairperson Ganderbal was not invited to district review meeting organised by Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah who is also representing Ganderbal constituency is a cause of concern. She said the three -tier democratic institutions are the main pillar of the system and it is unfortunate that the DDC representatives including chairpersons are not invited in the meetings or inauguration functions organised by the ministers in Kashmir.
Safina said also in Sopore they inaugurated a development project and did not invite the DDC members despite the fact that the work which was inaugurated was executed during LG rule and the funds for the same were got by hard efforts of DDC. She said even the newly elected MLAs have not yet received the CDF and the way they are behaving and ignoring the representatives of basic institutions of democracy is not good. “CM, Omar Abdullah recently visited New Delhi and met Prime Minister and Home Minister demanding restoration of Statehood and empowerment of his Government but I don’t know whose empowerment he wants. Does he want empowerment of his own or the empowerment of people,’’ she asked?.
If he is for the empowerment of the people then CM should allow that the tree tier democratic institutions should flourish in the UT and the Government should allow them to function independently.
She, while terming the implementation of Constitutional 73rd and 74th amendment a good step for empowering the Panchayats and municipal councils in the UT said after this amendment every plan for development works goes through Gram Sabhas and in case the CM wants to empower the common man of the J&K then he should think of empowerment of basic institutes of democracy instead of listening to those who are misleading him.
She said in Ganderbal there is an allegation that the instructions were given from CM’s office that the DDC Chairperson should not be invited in the review meeting which is a serious thing. “I will write to CM on this important issue. He (CM) should have immediately intervened after the news spread that instructions came from him., I can’t trust that CM will do it,’’ Safina added.
She said “After implementation of 73rd and 74th Constitutional amendment your Sarpanch is your MLA and one can get works done easily through him’’. Under the new system the transfer of funds goes from Sarpanch level to DDC and many PMGSY projects were executed through Council during LG rule after implantation of Constitutional amendments, she said, adding, the new Government should avoid doing cheap politics over such issues. “We worked for constant three years and they are going to cut ribbon which is surprising,’’ she added.
Safina, while highlighting the works executed during her tenure in Baramulla district said one Medical College and one Ayush College was opened in the district. It was with the hard efforts of public representatives that Baramulla got National Highway which was a big issue for entire North Kashmir. “We did big things through a small mandate’’, she added.
On recent NC resolution regarding the restoration of Special Status she said the point raised by People’s Democratic Party (PDP) was good as Restoration of Article 370 and 35 A is something more than special status. There are many states which have special status, she added.
Safina said they have promised restoration of Article 370 in their manifesto besides 200 units of free electricity to people and they should fulfil these promises.
The DDC chairperson, Baramulla said the NC should reveal what formula it has for restoration of 370 and 35 A as promised by it during campaigning.
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