Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 16: Senior Congress leader and DDC Suchetgarh, Taranjit Singh Tony, has strongly urged the Chief Minister to ensure the participation of all District Development Council (DDC) members in the all District level and Budget meetings, stating that the presence of only DDC Chairpersons is insufficient to represent the diverse issues of entire constituencies falling under the districts.
He asserted that excluding elected DDC members from such crucial discussions renders the process meaningless and undermines the spirit of grassroots democracy.
The senior Congress leader was speaking after conducting a day-long tour to several areas of Bahu constituency here today. Raising serious concerns over the neglect of DDC members during the visits of the Chief Minister, Cabinet Ministers, and administrative heads in several constituencies , Tony demanded that due protocol be followed and DDC representatives be informed whenever dignitaries visit their respective areas.
“We achieved the three-tier Panchayati Raj system after a long struggle, and now sidelining elected representatives from key meetings is an insult to democracy,” he added.
Tony further emphasized that DDC members play a vital role in the collective development of Jammu and Kashmir, particularly in their respective constituencies. However, their potential remains underutilized due to the lack of financial resources. He strongly advocated for an increase in the Capex Budget for DDC members from the current Rs 0.71 crore to Rs 2 crore per member.
“Without adequate funds, we cannot do justice to the developmental aspirations of our people,” he remarked.
He stressed the need for the district Capex Budget meetings to mandatorily involve all DDC members to ensure inclusive and effective decision-making. He urged the administration to recognize the pivotal role of grassroots representatives in the overall development of J&K.
Tony reaffirmed his commitment to fighting for the rights of the people and ensuring that the democratic structure of the DDC system is upheld in both letter and spirit. He warned that continued exclusion of DDC members from policy-making and budget planning would be a betrayal of the democratic mandate given by the people.
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