Calls for defining powers of MLAs, DDC Members
Ritesh Gupta
JAMMU, Jan 14: District Development Council (DDC) Jammu chairman Bharat Bhushan alias Bodhi has said that Maharashtra Panchayati Raj Act is best in the country where DDCs have not only very strong powers but high budgetary allocation and the members there have no need to approach Government for the assistance.
Follow the Daily Excelsior channel on WhatsApp
He said this in an exclusive interview to the Excelsior News.
“Maharashtra Panchayati Raj Act is one of the best in the country since 1965. They have a very strong system with good budget and powers with which they have been helping the people,” Bhushan, who is about to complete four years as chairperson of the DDC Jammu and belongs to the BJP, said.
Here in Jammu and Kashmir, he regretted, the DDCs have only District Capex budget and nothing else. “The funding is nominal but still because of three-tier system established for first time in Jammu and Kashmir, I will say development has reached every corner of the rural areas especially where it was required,” he said.
“When the DDCs were constituted in Jammu and Kashmir in January 2021, the chairman was given the protocol equal to the Divisional Commissioner only though there was much hype in the DDC polls. Later, on the intervention of the Central Government and the Lieutenant Governor, the chairman was given rank of the Minister of State for Home,” Bushan said.
The DDC Jammu chairman said there are no powers with the DDCs to sanction or allot work, no Constituency Development Fund with chairperson, vice chairperson and members. The DDCs and BDCs are helpless on many fronts. They only have District Capex budget.
Bushan disclosed that after the officers didn’t attend a meeting of the DDCs resulting into boycott by the members, he wrote letters to the Lieutenant Governor, concerned Cabinet Minister and the Chief Minister but there has been no response till date.
Pointing out that the meeting was called by him and the letters were sent, he said neither the Deputy Commissioner, nor the Chief Engineers and other officers came to the meeting resulting into boycott by the members including the MLAs.
Bharat Bushan batted for immediate constitution of Panchayats and Block Development Councils (BDCs) which are defunct for more than a year by holding elections to them. He also called for timely elections to the DDCs which are due in December this year.
He said the Panchayats and BDCs should be given at least Rs 50 lakh each per annum and the DDC member be given a fund of Rs 2 crore every year.
“Powers of MLA and DDC members should be clearly defined so that there is no confrontation among them in the working,” the DDC chairman said.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
