Gopal Sharma
RAJOURI, Dec 23: It may sound incredible but it is true that the same community hall which was inaugurated by BJP MLC Vibodh Gupta and vice chairman Pahari Board and senior BJP leader Kuldeep Raj Gupta just last month, was today again inaugurated by Deputy Chief Minister Dr Nirmal Singh in Rajouri town.
The issue was talk of the town today and both Congress and National Conference took serious note of the issue and described it as mockery of the system. MLA Rajouri from PDP, Qamar Choudhary had also lodged his protest with the Deputy Commissioner Rajouri Shabir Ahmed Bhat as he was not intimated and invited for the inaugural ceremony by both the local BJP leaders, Vibodh Gupta and Kuldeep Raj Gupta, despite the fact that several prominent citizens and members of Rajouri Beopar Mandal witnessed the first occasion.
Interestingly, both the local leaders MLC Vibodh Gupta and Kuldeep Raj Gupta preferred to stay away from the `so called formal inauguration’ of the same community hall at Town Hall Rajouri, which was conducted by the top BJP leader Dr Nirmal Singh (DyCM), in presence of Director Local Bodies, Jammu, Deputy Commissioner Rajouri and many prominent citizens and BJP leaders.
The DC disclosed that the building was constructed with the cost of Rs 2.83 crore. The work on the project was started during the period of the then local legislator Shabir Khan. The work remained suspended for some time due to paucity of funds. The remaining funds were provided by the Government and it was completed a few months back. The building was handed over by R&B on October 13, 2016.
Former Minister and senior Congress leader Shabir Khan described it as a joke not with the people of Rajouri but with own BJP party leaders. He said after MLC and Vice Chairman Pahari Board conducted inauguration, there was no fun to go for yet another inauguration. It is insulting for the DyCM as well. It is again amazing that both these BJP leaders were missing in today’s function. The BJP has stooped so low that it may indulge in such tactics, Khan added.
Shabir Khan further said that during 2009, with his initiative the work on this community hall was started. Khan said that he provided Rs 50 lakh initially from his CDF for it. He also brought the then Urban Development Minister Rigzin Jora to Rajouri who provided more funds and the work was completed. He claimed that it was almost complete in 2014 and he along with the then R&B Minister Majid Wani had inaugurated it but after that R&B officials at the behest of local BJP leaders removed their stone and replaced it with new one. He condemned the act of BJP leadership.
MLA from PDP, Qamar Choudhary said that today was the real inauguration function. ” Who are they to inaugurate the community hall ? It was the prerogative of the concerned Minister. Being local elected public representative, I was not invited to the function one and half month back by these BJP leaders and I had also lodged protest with the DC. Even the DC was not present in first such function. Such things should not happen as he also belongs to the ‘Coalition Govt’, ” Qamar maintained.
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