DDB Chairman for action against absent HoDs
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Oct 31: Open differences have surfaced in ruling BJP with Legislative Assembly Speaker Kavinder Gupta today boycotting the District Development Board (DDB) Jammu review meeting chaired by his party colleague and Deputy Chief Minister Dr Nirmal Singh on the issue of protocol while two Opposition MLAs—Devender Singh Rana and Kamal Arora—walked-out of the meeting alleging irregularities and lack of developmental works. Two more BJP MLAs openly voiced resentment on various issues in the DDB meeting, leading to commotion.
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Dr Nirmal Singh, who happens to be Chairman of the DDB Jammu, has, meanwhile issued explanation of all Head of Departments (HoDs), who abstained from the meeting and directed the Divisional Commissioner, Jammu and the Deputy Commissioner, Jammu to initiate stern action against them. On the other, Kavinder Gupta has issued explanation of Jammu Development Authority (JDA) Vice Chairman Rajesh Kumar Sawan for violation of protocol. The JDA falls under the Ministry of Dr Nirmal Singh.
In what could be termed as “open differences’’ within the ruling BJP, Kavinder Gupta today refused to attend the DDB Jammu meeting, which was chaired by Dr Nirmal Singh alleging violation of protocol at inauguration of a shed constructed by the JDA outside Bahu Fort temple.
While Kavinder Gupta refused to comment, reliable sources told the Excelsior that the Speaker’s name had been mentioned below Dr Nirmal Singh in the plaque fixed by the JDA near Bahu Fort temple for inauguration of the shed. Initially, Gupta had been told by the Department that only he would inaugurate the shed. However, in the morning, he was briefed that Dr Nirmal Singh will also be present with him.
Gupta reportedly got examined the plaque and found his name below Dr Singh, which, sources said, was violation of protocol as the Speaker is above the Deputy CM. Gupta not only stayed away from the JDA function but to voice his resentment and protest also boycotted the DDB Jammu meeting later. Dr Singh inaugurated the shed alone.
Gupta is BJP MLA from Gandhi Nagar and Bahu Fort temple area falls under his constituency. Sources said soon after the inauguration of shed by Dr Singh, Gupta called explanation of the JDA VC on violation of protocol.
Sources close to Dr Nirmal Singh, however, claimed that protocol has been maintained. They said there was one protocol inside the Legislative Assembly and another outside.
Though the differences within the ruling BJP have been quite common, this was a rare occasion when the two top party veterans fought it out openly on the issue of protocol after which the Speaker even refused to attend the DDB Jammu review meeting presided over by the Deputy Chief Minister.
Commotion prevailed even inside the DDB meeting when National Conference provincial president and MLA Nagrota Devender Singh Rana joined by his party colleague and MLA Bishnah, Kamal Arora alleged irregularities in implementation of various schemes and lack of development works especially macadamization of roads in Jammu.
Sources said trouble erupted when Dr Nirmal Singh referred to laying of bitumen at Government Guest House lane saying Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh had also pointed out about condition of the road during his visit in September.
This angered Rana, who charged the Deputy Chief Minister with ordering laying of bitumen as per his own whims and fancies and ignoring genuine road construction work. He alleged that majority of projects taken up by him in the last DDB Jammu meeting in March in which Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti was also present have not been taken up till date.
Dr Nirmal Singh, however, charged Devender Rana with playing politics on irrelevant issues saying the Opposition has been bereft of the issues and was trying to make an issue out of nothing.
Rana said: “I’m not in the DDB meeting because of you (Dr Singh). I’m an elected representative from Nagrota and by virtue of that I’m attending this meeting’’.
Amidst heated arguments, Devender Rana and Kamal Arora staged stormy walk-out of the DDB meeting.
It may be mentioned here that out of 11 MLAs in Jammu district, there are only two opposition MLAs (Rana and Arora) while nine others belonged to the BJP.
Sources said BJP MLA from RS Pura Gagan Bhagat also protested at the meeting for being furnished a “totally wrong reply’’.
Bhagat said he has been given reply that the issue raised by him in the last DDB meeting for providing Critical Care Ambulance to RS Pura has been addressed with the issuance of Ambulance. However, he added that RS Pura hasn’t been provided with any such ambulance.
Bhagat said the Health Department official had come to the meeting unprepared.
“Five young deaths have taken place in RS Pura due to lack of Critical Care Ambulance. Such Ambulances are not being provided to RS Pura and other places deliberately as some doctors were partner in Critical Care Ambulances and were looting the patients and their attendants. I’m ready to name these doctors if asked for,’’ Bhagat said.
BJP MLA from Marh Sukhnandan Choudhary was furious on the ground that the Government was discriminating between rural and urban constituencies.
“The JCBs engaged in construction work in my constituency have been shifted to City. This is ridiculous,’’ he was reported to have said at the DDB meeting.
Sources said a number of participants at the DDB Review meeting voiced concern over absence of senior officers especially the HoDs from the meeting. They alleged that the officers were not taking representatives of the people seriously and called for stern action against them.
Deputy Chief Minister Dr Nirmal Singh told the Excelsior that he has directed the Divisional Commissioner and the Deputy Commissioner, Jammu to identify all HoDs, who abstained from today’s DDB Review meeting and initiate action against them. Dr Singh said he has called for explanation of the absent officials.
“Any HoD, who produces leave or any other excuse for abstaining from the DDB Review meeting, will have to give valid reason or, otherwise, disciplinary action will be initiated against him,’’ the Deputy Chief Minister said.
Dr Singh said the Opposition MLAs were bereft of the issues as PDP-BJP coalition Government was working well and gaining strength day-by-day and it was in view of this that they tried to create trouble in the DDB meeting. However, he added, the DDB meeting went on very smooth except for walk-out by two Opposition MLAs, whom he charged with “playing politics’’.
Addressing a press conference, Devender Singh Rana, accompanied by Kamal Arora, lashed out at the PDP-BJP coalition Government and demanded special audit to probe utilization of funds sanctioned by the Centre to Jammu and Kashmir.
“Enquiry Commission should be appointed on working of various departments in the State,’’ Rana said.
He said; “I appeal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh to hold special audit by the Government of India to see where is the money coming from the Centre in Jammu and Kashmir and where it was being spent.’’
“Is the money really being utilized properly or filling the coffers of those, who are in power in Jammu and Kashmir. This needed to be probed,’’ said Rana.
Rana said instead of BJP’s slogan of “Sab Ka Saath, Sab Ka Vikas’’, the party in J&K was indulging in “Apna Saath, Apna Vikas’’ amid widespread allegation of corruption and misgovernance.
He said he along with MLA Bishnah Kamal Arora, have boycotted the District Development Board (DDB) meeting chaired by the Deputy Chief Minister Dr Nirmal Singh because they don’t want to listen our issues of concern.
“The Deputy Chief Minister has failed to serve to the people, who elected him for the cause of Jammu. BJP has failed on all fronts and now they are forcing Government officers to be card holders of BJP but we will not allow this to happen,’’ Rana said.
Rana, however, said administration has to be neutral and added, “we will become voice of Jammu and expose the wrongdoings of the Government and every department.’’
He added that officers cannot be champions and pracharaks of the BJP.
“The (BJP) wants to suppress the voice of opposition. They have become intolerant because they are inefficient and corrupt,’’ Rana alleged.
The MLA Nagrota said that Deputy Chief Minister Dr Nirmal Singh has failed on deliverance front and his colleagues have failed the people of Jammu region. Giving the sequence of events taking place in the review meeting, Rana wondered over open directions to engineers by the Deputy Chief Minister to have VIP road outside his residence at Canal Road macadamized to which he objected, citing the pitiable condition of roads across the city and in the entire Jammu region. He said Singh showed scant concern for non-coverage of 50 percent roads in the Jammu district, notwithstanding the fact that just 15 days were left for having black topping in specified temperature.
“The Deputy Chief Minister strangely issued directions about the thickness of the bitumen to be laid to which I objected, questioning his wisdom in doing so”, Rana said, adding that the road construction cannot be as per the whims and fancies of the Deputy Chief Minister as these had to be laid as per Indian Roads Congress Specifications Manual.
The Provincial President made a specific mention of ‘Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Ujwal Yojna’ and said it is a non starter. He said the pleas being advanced by the BJP is that they are not able to find suitable contractors.
“This argument by itself raises lot of questions”, he said, adding that the name of Deen Dayal Upadhyaya is being hugely exploited by the BJP.
Rana also took the Government head on over Smart City city project, terming it a ‘huge scam’ the way the scheme has been conceived. He described Smart City as a “bigger scam” and said the way it has been conceived and planned, “I am telling you that the money will go waste and it will be a den of corruption”, he added.
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