Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR/ JAMMU, Mar 9: The Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (J&KPCC) today termed the J&K Government’s order of placing DDC chairmen, vice-chairmen and members at bottom of precedence list as a cruel joke with these newly elected public representatives.
In a statement issued to the press here today, JKPCC vice president GN Monga asked the BJP Government where has its claims of empowering grass-roots level democratic institutions gone?
“The BJP Government used to claim that the DDCs will become new units of grass-roots level democracy in J&K. But instead of encouraging them, they are being discouraged through orders like issued yesterday,” Monga said.
“How can these elected bodies work for the people when they don’t have enough authority? How can they come up to the expectations of their voters when they have been degraded?” the Congress leader questioned.
“Before the elections, the Government had promised that the DDC chairmen will have MoS ranks, even the Mayors of Municipal Corporations have MoS rank. Why have they disempowered then now? Also the honorarium fixed for DDC chairmen, vice-chairmen and members is meager. They should be paid sufficient honorarium,” he demanded.
Urging the Government to make necessary changes in the precedence list so that the
“DDC chairmen, vice-chairmen and members have enough authority to work for the welfare of people,” Monga said.
He said Congress party is committed to strengthen the Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) at all levels and it will not allow the BJP to undermine the authority of these institutions for personal political benefits.
Meanwhile, Congress has taken a dig at the BJP Govt and UT administration for it’s failure to accord appropriate status, authority and facilities to newly elected DDCs and expressed solidarity with the agitating DDC chairpersons and vice chairpersons as well as members seeking due authority and powers as well as facilities to serve the people.
JKPCC chief spokesperson Ravinder Sharma said that the Government has failed to respect mandate of the people and honour its commitment to the DDC chairpersons, vice chairpersons and members for appropriate status and facilities to serve people.
He said that the the District Development Boards used to be headed by the nominated chairpersons of the rank of Cabinet Ministers. However, the J&K Panchayati Raj Act was amended in March 2014 to provide for the elected chairpersons of the District Boards from amongst the members of the boards now named as DDCs. He demanded that Govt must review its decision.
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