Just 25 km away from Distt Hqrs, too far from development
Unaware of DDC powers, youngsters vote excitedly
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Dec 16: Majority of the voters of neglected Drabshalla area of Kishtwar district overwhelmingly participated in the electoral process for bringing an end to several decades’ long discrimination as despite being merely 25 kilometres away from the District Headquarters the area remains grossly underdeveloped till date.
However, youngsters of Bhalla area of Doda district excitedly exercised their right to franchise despite being completely unaware of the powers of District Development Council as they just wanted to be part and parcel of the democratic exercise.
Drabshalla is located 25 kilometres away from the Kishtwar District Headquarters but there is hardly any problem which this area is not confronting since long. Poor interior roads, shortage of staff in schools, obsolete water supply scheme, bad condition of drainage system, unattended small developmental works and lack of focus on Bilamnag tourist spot are the outcome of the continuous biased approach of the elected representatives.
“We knocked each and every door to get these and other problems resolved but because of discriminatory attitude of the politicians who were elected in the past from this area we are far-away from development”, said a number of voters, who participated in the District Development Council elections today.
While some parts of Drabshalla reaped the fruits of development, majority of area remained underdeveloped mainly because there was vindictive approach of the elected representatives, who only focused on their vote bank, said a retired Government servant Swami Raj.
How anyone can justify lack of basic facilities in an area which is not too far from the District Headquarter? Munshi Ram, another voter asked, adding “even Government officials cannot absolve themselves from the problems being faced by the people as they too acted on the instructions of the politicians instead of analyzing the situation and providing relief on their own”.
Both Swami Raj and Munshi Ram said, “the intensity of discrimination can be gauged from the fact that even scope of developmental works was changed from time to time on the instructions of certain politicians so that we remain deprived of basic amenities”, adding “moreover, instead of ensuring that local people get some sort of employment in the developmental works such politicians always preferred their relatives so as to fill-up their own coffers”.
Some youngsters, who are eagerly looking for employment opportunities since long, expressed hope that with the resumption of work on Ratle Hydroelectric Project they will start earning livelihood. “Earlier, for gaining employment in the project we remained at the mercy of politicians who left no stone unturned to get the persons of their choice selected for different works in the project”, they regretted.
Majority of the voters, who interacted with EXCELSIOR, said that they voted overwhelmingly with the hope that decades’ long discrimination with them will be over with the formation of District Development Council. “Since there is no MLA from the area at present and DDC will have its own working mechanism we are hopeful of resolution of all our issues in the shortest possible time”, they further said.
“Moreover, we will not have to knock the doors of the Government officials repeatedly as District Development Council will have the powers to frame the developmental plans keeping in view the problems of the territorial constituencies”, several other voters said, adding “we want the DDC to give top most priority to extension of benefits of all the Centrally Sponsored Schemes to each and every area”.
Enthusiasm was also witnessed among the voters particularly youngsters in Bhalla area of Doda district, which too has a long list of problems.
“Under the Centrally Sponsored Schemes several developmental projects were started in the area but at the micro level grievances of the people have remained unattended”, they said, adding “we have lots of expectations from the District Development Council as Councillor will have to focus on a particular area only and it would be easy for us to approach him”.
Majority of the youngsters of the area were found completely unaware of the powers of District Development Council but they excitedly participated in the battle of ballot as they just wanted to be the part and parcel of the democratic exercise.
One Rishi Kumar said, “we have been told by our elders that with the formation of District Development Council we will not have to pay visit to the Deputy Commissioner or other district level officers for resolving our issues”, adding “if this will happen in real sense our basic problems will get resolved in a short span of time”.
Another youngster Devender Kotwal said, “Councillor would be only person to whom we have to report all our grievances and this is going to be a wonderful mechanism of grievances redressal”, adding “we expect the District Development Council to take steps in a time bound manner to make improvement wherever there is scope so that we are in a position to lead hassle-free life”.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
