Excelsior Correspondent
POONCH, Apr 9: Describing the deliberate exclusion of several villages from Balakote tehsil of Mendhar sub-division as grave injustice with the people by the present dispensation, National Conference MLA from Mendhar Javed Rana, today reiterated the demand for reorganisation of Balakote on basis of geographical conditions and keeping in view public convenience.
He said the National Conference Government had created new administrative units for efficient public service delivery and for greater convenience to the public but authorities in the present dispensation have made it a tool for partisan politics and a nightmare for several villages of Balakote.
Addressing a gathering of Sub-Divisional officers and people at Kandi Galhuta at a `public darbar’ today, the NC Legislator expressed surprise at the deliberate delay in inclusion of several villages into Balakote tehsil. He also accused the PDP led Coalition Government of its inaction to make the new administrative units functional.
He said the people of Kandi Galhuta area and other nearby villages, who live at a stones away distance from Balakote, are being made to travel tens of kilometres to Harni to avail Revenue services as these villages are whimsically excluded from Tehsil Balakote. Surprisingly, people of Galhuta Panchayat move to Bimber Gali, hours away, for their community development needs as their CD Block office is headquartered there.
The MLA also reviewed the progress on several ongoing development works in the area and conveyed necessary instructions to the concerned Sub-Divisional officers. Issues relating to Kandi- Galhuta PMGSY road, demand for fair price shops and upgradation of Middle School, Kandi Galhuta besides several other local issues of public importance were deliberated upon in details. The locals expressed great resentment over poor functioning of PHE department in the area and demanded high level inquiry into the defunct water supply schemes.
Meanwhile, the MLA has announced Rs 10 lakh out of his Constituency Development Fund for Suyain bridge. The people of Galuta and adjoining villages lauded the vigorous efforts of MLA for providing motorable bridge on Harni-BG road.