Srinagar: National Conference Senior Leader and former MLA Ganderbal Sheikh Ishfaq Jabbar has sought intervention of Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha for not facilitating the functioning of DDCs properly and violating the due protocol.
In a statement issued here Mr Jabbar said that although the Govt has placed chairpersons of district development councils equivalent to that of mayors within their respective territorial jurisdictions and DDC vice-chairpersons have been placed equivalent to all administrative secretaries, divisional commissioners, IGPs, chief conservator of forests, joint secretaries to the government of India and officers of equivalent rank and officers of the rank of Major General or equivalent rank within their respective jurisdictions but unfortunately we do not see such things on ground.
Mr Jabbar said that be it security or any other announcement by the Administration it is not implemented on ground
“DDCs should be provided all the facilities, protocol and other requirements with dignity just like a mayor have, Jabbar added.
Ishfaq added that the DDC members are elected representatives of the people. Without taking them on board, the officers shouldn’t settle any plans/proposals/schemes as this will erode very essence as well as edifice of grass-root democracy, he asserted.
Administration has announced works without taking consent of the DDC and action plan for some works has been approved without taking DDCs on board.
The administration is making a joke out of DDCs and has mocked the whole democratic exercise. Bureaucracy doesn’t want to empower elected representatives and wants to keep DDC members as puppets,” said Jabbar.
The protocol powers and honor announced by the government for DDC chairpersons and council members must be followed in letter and spirit to what the prime minister and the Union home minister had envisaged for these elected representatives of the people,” he said.
“Just to retain their clout in decision making… I believe the bureaucratic set-up should help strengthen the democratic institutions at the grassroots level if they really want to serve the people in J&K,” he remarked.