Suhail Bhat
Srinagar, Mar 13: As Government is mulling to create new Panchayat Halqas to get the arithmetic right for the upcoming Panchayat polls, the people who braved all hostilities and helped the State to resurrect the institution by providing the space for the required infrastructure are dejected over Government’s failure to deliver on their promises.
An official at Rural Development Department said more than 250 persons, who had voluntarily donated the land for the construction of Panchayat Ghars in their villages, are waiting for the settlement of their decades-old cases. “This tardy nature from the Government discourages the people who are the kingpins of democracy,” he sad.
For last 19 years, family of Javaid Ahmad Dar, 33, has been running from pillar to post to get a job, which was promised to them after they voluntarily donated land for the construction of Panchayat Ghar at their village in Kotipora in Budgam district of Central Kashmir. “The Government promised a job to my father in exchange for the land. I have been visiting every office but to no avail. The Block Development Officers give a deaf ear to my pleas. There is not a single door which I have not knocked on,” Dar said.
During the fag end of the nineties, a bullet ripped through his skull, damaged his power of speech and rendered his right arm disabled. “I am the sole bread earner of my family and with 75 percent disability I am little more than a sack of flesh. I want the Government to enquire into the matter and see for themselves if my claims hold any water,” Dar added.
Block Development Officer (BDO) B K Pora in 2015 had written to Tehsildar of the area to take necessary action regarding Javaid’s case, intimating that the department had constructed a Panchayat Ghar during 1997-98 on the donated land. He had also mentioned it in the official letter that the concerned Secretary Panchayat had also reported the same.
The Panchayat Ghar still exists on the ground but Javaid not only awaits justice but also keeps a check on the job posts that the Department advertises. Director Rural Development Kashmir, Gazanfar Ali said that they have been tirelessly working on this grave issue and list of nearly 250 genuine cases have been sent to the Government.
“We have prepared the list and dispatched it to the civil secretariat for further action. I hope the issue will be settled soon as the Government is serious about it,” he said. Asked why the Government took such a long time to deliver on their promises, he said: “It involved a very rigorous exercise as there were lots of fake cases which were expunged after a thorough investigation. It will not take more time to the list of genuine cases to get attention”.
Way back in 2003, Mohammad Maqbool Hajam, a resident of Pahalgam, also donated a prized one Kanal of land to the Panchayat Ghar but he hasn’t received a single penny from the Government. “The land would have fetched me more than Rs 30 lakhs. Government lured me with a fake promise of a job. If they fail to give me promised job and compensation I will lock the building,” he said.
Minister for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj and Law and Justice, Abdul Haq Khan when contacted said we have not taken any decision in this regard. We will try to accommodate them anywhere. They need not worry at all. We will not let people suffer. We will look into the cases very seriously.”
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