Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, July 25: The District Development Council (DDC) representatives from Poonch today boycotted a development related meeting after heated arguments of a member with the Additional District Development Commissioner Poonch, Abdul Sattar Bhat (CEO) during the meeting in Poonch town.
Reports said a Capex budget related meeting was organized by the district administration at TRC Complex Poonch today at 11.30 am, in which all the DDC representatives of the district were present besides some officers concerned.
Officially the meeting was presided over by the CEO of the Council, Additional District Development Commissioner of Poonch Abdul Sataar along with DDC Chairperson, Tazim Akhtar.
Sources said that one of the representatives raised the question in the meeting that officers of 29 departments should have been present in the meeting while only six departments were present. Some members also raised issue that meeting was already scheduled at 11.30 am then why it was being commenced at 1 pm. Besides no approval was sought for the last two years from the DDC members regarding annual district plan.
Amidst these issues, one of the members from Mendhar, Wajid Bashir Khan got up and entered into arguments with the Additional District Development Commissioner, CEO of the Council. The member threw down the mike during heated arguments and declared that he was boycotting the meeting. After this, all other members except Chairperson, left the venue and came out of the hall as mark of protest.
Wajid Bashir Khan, DDC representative from Mendhar B, later held a press conference at his Mendhar office and said that officers were taking the DDC meeting very lightly and they have made mockery of the system. He asked question about absence of majority of officers, the ADDC got irritated and started shielding his officers. Even the PHE officers were not there and many of them got more angry over it. He said Government must take elected bodies seriously otherwise it should be dissolved.
DDC Chairperson, Tazim Akhtar, when contacted, said that there was a meeting related to Capex budget today and there was no need of inviting all the departments there. The concerned officers had been intimated and most of them were present. She said one of the members, unfortunately misbehaved with the Council CEO and even broke the mike. This should not have been done. She further claimed that a few members remained inside while most of them left the venue in protest. Perhaps some of the members had come there only to play politics and with the intention of boycotting meeting, she added.
Additional District Development Commissioner Poonch (CEO) Abdul Sattaar, however, said he was CEO of the Council and being at this position, he has to listen to all the members and respond to their quarries. But the DDC representative from Mendhar -B, Wajid Bashir Khan got angry over a petty issue and broke the mike and used abusive language, which is wrong and unfortunate.
” Being Government servant, I have to listen to everyone and from my side, they have not been told anything adverse as they are claiming in the media and public,” the ADDC maintained.
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