Dr. Ram Chander Sharma
The Jammu and Kashmir coalition Government led by Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti has opened a can of worms by establishing Additional Dy. Commissioner’s post at Koteranka. The people belonging to the Sub Divisions of Sunderbani, Kalakote and Nowshera are protesting for the similar facility for their respective areas for the last twenty days with bandhs and rallies and the response of the Government is lukewarm. With each passing day, it is apprehended, that the unscrupulous elements can foment more trouble for the administration. Has the Government adopted the set procedure to sanction new administrative units for important ADCs posts viz. Billawar, Basholi and Koteranka, like, putting such a move as an agenda before the Cabinet? Unfortunately, the answer is big No! It can be presumed that the Government is purely working for political motives.
At the time of independence in the year 1947 Jammu province had six districts while Kashmir province had three. There was resentment in Kashmir Division and demands were made to end the disparity. Soon after the reinstatement of Late Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah in the year 1975 three more districts viz. Kupwara, Pulwama and Budgam were announced for the Kashmir division. This resulted in resentment amongst the people of Jammu Division and the then Government constituted a commission headed by Justice Janki Nath Wazir in the year 1980 to recommend the Government for establishment of new districts in Jammu and Kashmir as a strong agitation was started by veteran BJP leader Late Rishi Kumar Koushal. The commission forwarded the recommendations to the Government in the year 1984 known as “Wazir Commission Report” which recommended setting up of three additional districts for Jammu and one for Kashmir region. The Government never implemented the recommendations due to political reasons and opposition from the Valley. Later in the year 2006, the then Government headed by Ghulam Nabi Azad announced eight new districts four each for Jammu and Kashmir Divisions, three Sub Divisions and 13 Tehsils thus ending the disparity – it was considered as a big decision as all the financial aspects were taken into consideration. Soon after this historic decision, resentment brewed amongst the people as the decision didn’t consider the demarcation of new administrative units. The Government constituted a committee headed by Ex-Chief Secretary S.S. Baloria to seek objections and responses from general public regarding the demarcation of geographical areas of newly created administrative units. The committee visited on the spot and took public views and latter Government sought the responses vide Public Notice DIP/J-6490/07 Dated 02-03-2007. The committee submitted its report to Govt. in Feb. 2007 with its recommendations and also suggested that new committee should be constituted for recommendation of new administrative units as huge representations were made for the creation of new administrative units. Then again a Public Notice was issued by the Government vide Govt. Order No.221-GAD of 2007 Dated 01-03-2007 for creation of new administrative units only is respect of Sub Divisions, Tehsils, Niabats, Patwar Halqas and Blocks and for laying down broad parameters/ norms for creation of new administrative units in future again headed by S.S.Baloria.
In the context of present turmoil in district Rajouri in particular and Sub Region of Sunderbani, Kalakote and Nowshera it is interesting to mention here that after laborious efforts of the Baloria committee the recommendations were that areas lying west of Kalidar Hills range falling in Akhnoor and Reasi Tehsils such as villages Malla, Pukharni, Rah-Salyote and Hardu Malwara (Akhnoor Tehsil), five villages of Later Patwar Halqa (Reasi Tehsil) should be attached with Sunderbani tehsil as the people living in these villages are totally dependent on Sunderbani and which is near to them. The committee also made a reference that a separate District should be carved out of Sunderbani,Kalakote and Nowshera with HQ at village Siot which is centrally located and exists on Highway. The recommendations of “Baloria Committee” were put in cold storage for unknown reasons and the huge exercise turned futile.
Again for the unknown reasons in the year 2009, the then Omar Abdullah Government constituted yet another five member committee headed by Mushtaq Ganai for creation of new administrative units which submitted its report in the year 2011. Out of slumber the Omar Abdullah Govt. Vide Cabinet decision No. 128/11/2014 Dated 16-07-2014 created 46 Sub Divisions, 135 new Tehsils and 301 Niabats across the State. For Rajouri District four new sub Divisions namely Sunderbani, Kalakote, Thanamandi and Koteranka were created. The issue of demarcation of geographical areas for new administrative units was never implemented and no parameters were set for creation of new districts or any other new admn. units.
The present mess of creation of three new posts of ADCs in Jammu province neither have any reference to nor any Cabinet approval of the Government. Then, why this blunder has been done by the coalition Government? At the start of this alliance Government the Late Mufti Mohammad Sayeed had termed it the combination of North Pole and South Pole. It may be true that the coalition partners have vast different political ideologies and the relations have it been so cordial. It is very evident from the fact that the office of CM is mum over the present scenario in district Rajouri as similar demands are pouring from other regions with threats of more such agitations. The seeds of hatred have been sown in three Sub Divisions of Rajouri as people are openly threating each other and issuing statements of resorting to violence. In such conditions, the silence of the Government is more disturbing as hitherto a peaceful nationalist area is going the Kashmir way.
There are reasons to believe that the ruling PDP/BJP are politically driving in diverse directions to undermine each other and to weaken the vote bank. As is seen in case of the constituencies of Kalakote and Nowshera the sitting MLAs belong to BJP. One happens to be a Cabinet Minister. Now due to prevailing circumstances both are unable to face the wrath of people and remain elusive for the people. First, the BJP is being marginalized in Jammu province and its ministers including Dy. Chief Minister (BJP) are becoming irrelevant . Secondly, the opposition Congress and National Conference parties have got a readymade issue out of non-issue and are laughing their way. Thirdly, there is crisis of leadership in BJP which has performed very badly and not as per the aspirations of people of Jammu region. The present crisis in Rajouri district can only be solved by constitution of a committee with clear terms and reference and taking into account all the recommendations of two “Baloria Committees” reports and studying and implementing all the genuine demands of the people. Any decision taken in haste would further deteriorate the peaceful atmosphere of this sub region.
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