‘Modi took democracy to grass-root level’
Avtar Bhat
KATHUA, Nov 24: Union Minister in PMO with independent charge of North Eastern States, Dr Jitendra Singh today accused the Congress and National Conference (NC) of hitting the cause of people of Jammu region worst through their discriminatory policies during their decades long rule.
Addressing the election rallies in Marheen in border belt of Hiranagar sector in Kathua district today in support of party candidates for District Development Committee (DDC) elections, he said that four Ministers of Congress and one of Panthers Party from Jammu were the part of then coalition Government when the Dogra certificates were cancelled but they maintained a stoic silence on the issue at that time and did not bother to write a note of dissent against the decision. But these leaders are now misleading the people on the name of Dogra certificates as if it was BJP which cancelled them.
Dr Jitendra Singh said if these leaders had shown the guts they should have come out of coalition at that time in protest instead raking up the issue now and misleading the people for their own blunders.
He also accused the Congress leadership of maintaining total silence when the four percent reservations were given to people living on Line of Control (LoC) and while the denizens of International Border facing similar kind of problems were denied the same right under a sinister design. “Why Jammu Ministers maintained silence at that time too,” he asked?
“Was it the only reason that the people living in the border belt of Kathua and Samba were not provided the benefit of the reservations because they did not fall in the vote bank of those parties which were in Government at that time,” he further questioned.
Dr Jitendra Singh said is this the real spirit of justice and governance that the two categories of people facing the similar kind of problems and living in the same of situation are to be treated in different way. He said it was the Narendra Modi led Government which has done away with this great injustice meted out to the border people in these two districts of J&K after they were given at par reservations with the LoC people.
He said those leaders who did not utter a word against such grave injustice meted out to people of Jammu region should hold their heads in shame instead of misleading the people and claiming themselves to be the champion of the cause of the people of the region. He accused them of being responsible for the injustice to which the people of this region were subjected over the years.
Taking on those politicians and intellectuals who misled the people on new Land Law and Domicile Law, Dr Jitendra Singh said that that the Domicile Law and Land Laws are two different issues and they can’t be mingled together. He warned those leaders who are trying to create confusion among the masses over the issue saying the Domicile Law is meant for Government jobs and admission in higher educational and professional institutions while the Land Law is not meant for such purposes.
He said Domicile Law is all over the country and it is a guarantee to the Government jobs to the inhabitants in their respective States and UTs or to the students to get admission in professional colleges and higher education institutions. He said in case such a rider would not be there the youth or students having higher merit from other states or UTs can come and seek the jobs and get admission in professional institutions depriving the locals.
Maintaining that there is no overlapping in two laws, he said to do away with this problem, the Domicile Law has been made to protect the rights of youth and students, however, in case of sale and purchase of the land no body from outside can purchase the land without the willingness of its owner, he added. He allayed the fears of the people that Land Law will deprive the landholders of their rights over the land saying no one can acquire even a marla of land without the consent and willingness of its owner.
Dr Jitendra Singh also outrightly rejected the allegations that the MNREGA payments were stopped by the Government and said that the same was basically done by previous UPA Government in 2014. The Modi Government, however, regulated it and made the process more smooth and transparent. Present Government used to make the payment through DBT mode on the instructions of the Prime Minister, he added.
The Union Minister said it took some time initially in releasing the payments due to the process of scrutiny and framing of lists to avoid the double payments or fake names as was reported earlier under the scheme.
Dr Jitendra Singh also said that the PRC of Maharaja ‘s Government was something different than the PRC of J&K Constitution brought by National Conference Government after independence and the people should not link the two. During the Maharaja’s time any outsider who served the State of J&K and contributed in its welfare for some years was granted permission of getting citizenship right in the State while this was not prevalent in the PRC under J&K Constitution, he added.
While referring to the DDC elections, he said it is for the first time that these candidates have come for campaigning for DDC elections in this part of the country which indicated the change brought by Modi Government to strengthen the roots of democracy in J&K and make the Panchayati Raj system a reality.
The people of J&K were deprived by this right by the dynastic parties for seven decades and instead of empowering the people at grass root level they worked for empowerment of their dynasties.
Dr Jitendra Singh also asked the leaders of Congress and NC that why they failed in last 70 years to construct the toilet blocks in border belt where the people faced many problems due to lack of such facilities. He said it was the Narendra Modi Government which took an initiative in this regard and sanctioned 1100 toilets in border belt out of which 600 have been constructed while the work is in progress on others, he added.
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