Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Feb 21: The aspirations of lakhs of people, which received due attention after long struggle, have remained unfulfilled as even after State Cabinet’s approval the fate of 158 additional administrative units is hanging in balance during the past over four months. Now for the implementation of decision taken by the previous dispensation all eyes are set on the new Government, which will take over the reins of the State in near future.
The demand for creation of additional administrative units picked up momentum soon after the State Cabinet in the month of January last year ordered establishment of 659 new administrative units on the recommendation of Cabinet Sub Committee comprising Ministers of both Congress and National Conference in previous Coalition Government in the State.
Protests broke out in different parts of the State over neglect of various deserving areas by the Cabinet Sub Committee. Not only elected representatives of the then Opposition parties even the leaders of the then ruling parties—Congress and National Conference sympathized with the protesting general public and came on streets to demand justice with the deserving but neglected areas.
In order to bring an end to the spree of protests, which even turned violent at many places in the State, the then Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah declared on floor of the Assembly during Budget Session in February last year that the Expert Committee would be set up to examine demand for creation of more administrative units in the State.
Even after this announcement, the demand of lakhs of people remained unfulfilled for several months as Government didn’t initiate any step to translate the announcement of the Chief Minister into reality. After criticism from different quarters, the Government finally on June 3, 2014 constituted five members Expert Committee to examine feasibility/demand for creation of new administrative units in the left-out areas of Jammu and Kashmir.
The Finance Commissioner, Industries and Commerce Department was made Chairman of the Committee while Divisional Commissioners of Jammu and Kashmir and Directors Rural Development Department of Jammu and Kashmir were appointed its members besides Commissioner/ Secretary Revenue Department as Member-Secretary.
The recommendations of the Expert Committee received nod of the State Cabinet in the month of October 2014 and finally on October 21, 2014, sanction was accorded to the creation of additional 158 administrative units, which include 9 Sub-Divisions, 50 Tehsils and 99 Niabats, vide Order No. Rev (S)-242.
However, no further progress was made to implement this order on ground and during the past more than four months neither jurisdiction of these additional administrative units was defined nor places of their headquarters were identified, official sources told EXCELSIOR.
“About more than a month back the Deputy Commissioners in whose jurisdiction these additional administrative units fall were asked by the senior officers to initiate exercise for defining the jurisdiction of these units but till date nothing has been done in this regard”, they informed.
What to talk of Deputy Commissioners even Chief Secretary never bothered to discuss this issue particularly in the meeting of Committee of Secretaries in order to implement the Cabinet decision on ground, sources said.
“It is stated in the official circles that the new political dispensation would take decision on issuance of notification defining jurisdiction of these additional administrative units but the same carries no justification as only administrative orders are required to be issued”, they said.
Due to delay in defining jurisdiction and posting officers, the fate of 158 additional administrative units is hanging in balance and the aspirations of lakhs of people are remaining unfulfilled. “This is nothing else than injustice with the people, who fought for getting their demands conceded in comparison with those who obtained benefit without any agitation during the first phase of creation of administrative units”, sources said.
Follow our WhatsApp channel