Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, May 5: Substantiating the general perception that the announcements made on the floor of the Legislature are not taken seriously by the bureaucrats, the Government has failed to constitute an expert panel to go into the demands of left over areas for creation of new administrative units. The announcement in this regard was made by none else than the Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah.
Following creation of 659 administrative units like Sub-Divisions, Tehsils, Niabats, CD Blocks and Patwar Halqas on the recommendations of Cabinet Sub-Committee, protests broke out in several parts of the State with people alleging discrimination during the exercise.
Even the Opposition parties started accusing the Government of indulging in favoritism while announcing new administrative units and held hostage the proceedings of the Legislature during the Budget Session over the issue while demanding justice with the left over deserving areas.
The demonstrations from the public and Opposition parties came to end when Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah, in reply to the Motion of Thanks on Governor’s Address in Legislative Assembly on February 12, announced constitution of an experts committee to go into the demands of left over areas for creation of new administrative units.
“The experts panel would submit its report to the Cabinet within a period of three months”, the Chief Minister had stated while admitting that some genuine areas have been left out from creation of new units. Mr Omar further stated that even all the Ministers in the Cabinet Sub-Committee were of the opinion that some genuine areas could not be included either because they didn’t fall within the norms of first committee or didn’t come to the notice of Cabinet Sub-Committee due to pressure of time.
However, the announcement made by the Chief Minister has met the fate of several other statements and promises made on the floor of the Legislature, as despite lapse of nearly three months the expert panel has not been framed yet.
“Though the concerned officers, who had to vigorously pursue with the higher ups the issue of framing of experts committee, are taking the excuse of Model Code of Conduct for delay, yet there is no justification behind this plea as MCC came into force on March 5, twenty days after the announcement of Chief Minister”, official sources said.
Why the experts’ panel was not constituted during these days especially when the concerned authorities were aware of the fact Model Code of Conduct was all set to be implemented? sources asked, adding “due to their slackness there are apprehensions about people of deserving but left out areas getting justice from the Government”.
“If the expert panel is framed after May 16, when the Model Code of Conduct will come to an end, the exercise of ascertaining the genuineness of the demands of more administrative units will get stretched up to August ending”, they said, adding “after completion of this exercise the experts panel will have to submit its recommendations to the Cabinet, which will take a final call on the issue”.
In response to a question, they said, “keeping in view the lengthy exercise, which has yet not began, nobody knows whether the aspirations and expectations of the people of deserving but left out areas would be met with”.
It is pertinent to mention here that in Jammu region massive protests over discrimination in creation of new administrative units were reported from twin border districts of Rajouri and Poonch and different other parts of Jammu region, which include Jandrah area of Nagrota Assembly constituency.
Follow our WhatsApp channel