Members of 4248 VDCs left high & dry as SPOs refuse to share emoluments

Govt withdraws BPL, AAY facilities

Gopal Sharma
JAMMU, Feb 12: Over 4248 Village Defence Committees (VDCs) across Jammu region including 857 from Kishtwar, Doda and Ramban belts have been left high and dry as the Special Police Officers (SPOs) have refused to share the emoluments with them.
Official sources said that VDCs were constituted during 1996 initially, when the top BJP leader Lal Krishan Advani, the then Dy Prime Minister, was the Incharge Union Home Minister. There was massacre by heavily armed militants in Doda district by militants and he along with senior Home Ministry officials and DGP visited the site. The local public put forth the demand of providing them weapons so that they could protect themselves from the militants and wage fight with them till the police or Army reach there for rescue.
The Union Home Minister then issued on the spot instructions to the then DGP to constitute Village Defence Committees and provide weapons to the villagers for self protection. Many people, specially the youth came forward and volunteered themselves as VDC members. They were provided weapon training and .303 rifles and cartridges by State Police.
Many VDC members suffered attacks from the militants and some of them even lost lives during initial years. But they continued their task to protect people of their area. They continued performing the given task.
It was also decided to induct Special Police Officers (SPOs) in each VDC team. One SPO was deputed to head each Village Defence Committee and the money provided to each SPO was being shared by all. It was also decided to have 6-8 members in each VDC to protect the villagers from the militant attacks. Initially, each committee was offered an amount of Rs 150 and they all used to share this amount.
During 2001, the payment was hiked to Rs 1500 per month while during 2005 it was increased to Rs 3000. It was again hiked to Rs 6000 during 2014 and after few years to Rs 12000. The payment was being shared by the SPOs with the VDC members and after several months, the SPOs stopped sharing this amount.
Now, the VDC members from erstwhile Doda district (Chenab belt) and other parts of the region are on agitational path in Jammu. They are demanding remuneration at par with SPOs per month but they have remained unheard so far.
Naib Sarpanch Behari Lal Bhushan from Panchayat Chakka of Assar Block in Doda who is spearheading the agitation of the VDC members at Jammu said that for the last 4-5 years, these people are not being paid even a single penny for the task they are performing. He said that they approached concerned Police Stations, District SP and the DIG concerned but they have not given them satisfactrory reply. Even the former MLAs and BJP leaders did not help. After moving from pillar to post, they were forced to come out on the roads in Jammu, he added.
Bhushan further disclosed that after Chapnari massacre in Doda wherein 26 members of marriage marty were gunned down by militants in 1996, the VDCs were framed by the Government. The Army and police provided training and weapons. They were protecting their own villages from the militants. One SPO was placed to head the VDC team and a fixed honorarium was provided to the VDC which was shared by all.
This amount was increased from time to time but now for the last about 4 years the money sharing has been stopped. Even the VDC members were placed in the category of BPL and ration under AAY was being provided to them. Their children were getting scholarships in BPL category but for the last few years these facilities have also been withdrawn by the previous BJP-PDP regime.
He disclosed that at present there are 4248 VDCs in Jammu region including parts of Rajouri, Poonch, Reasi, Udhampur, Kathua etc. In Kishtwar, Ramban and Doda alone there are 857 VDCs. The total number of VDC members are nearly 25,000 in the region. These people are on the roads and staging protests in Jammu but the J&K administration and BJP leadership have shut their eyes towards the plight of the VDCs.
The Naib Sarpanch said the VDCs have now decided to organize ‘Maha-rally’ in Jammu between February 20 and 25. A memorandum will also be submitted to Lt Governor G C Murmu and the Union Home Minister through Divisional Commissioner Jammu. He said the VDCs are only demanding honorarium at par with SPOs and restore the facilities withdrawn by the Government at the Centre. He said during previous Lok Sabha and Assembly elections the VDC members were exploited and used by the BJP leaders for their win but after their success, the VDCs were left to suffer and they have not fulfilled their promise. Despite helping them, their existing facilities were withdrawn which is very unfortunate, he added.
IGP Jammu, Mukesh Singh when contacted said that VDCs are functioning in most of the areas even now. They are agitating because some of the SPOs have stopped sharing the honorarium money with them. Moreover, some court cases are also pending pertaining to their honorarium. The IGP said he was aware of the issues but it has to be settled at the higher level and it is sub-judice as well.
Deputy Inspector General of Police, Doda-Kishtwar-Ramban Range, Bhimsen Tuti said that VDC members are performing their job in the districts under him. He said there is some money issue for which they are agitating. The Police Headquarter and the higher authorities in J&K UT are aware of it. It is within their domain to settle the issue, he added.

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