Govt indulged into deceit tactics to sideline elected representatives”

NC led regime has eroded sanctity and credibility

of democratic institutions in state: Mufti

GNS SAMBA : Former Chief Minister and patron of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Mufti Mohammad Sayeed today regretted that the present regime headed by National Conference (NC), through its gimmicks and misdeeds, has eroded the sanctity and credibility of democratic institutions in the state.

Addressing an impressive public meeting at Sumb area of Samba district, Mr Sayeed said that during the last three years the government headed by NC has brazenly undermined all prestigious democratic institutions be it the Assembly, Local Bodies, Panchayati Raj Institutions or District Development Boards (DDBs).

“Instead of strengthening these democratic institutions, the present dispensation has been indulged into undemocratic means to undermine the role of elected representatives”, he said and pointed towards inordinate delay in conducting Local Bodies elections in the state.

 “Elections of the civic bodies including Jammu and Srinagar municipal corporations were due in the month of February 2010 but the government has been delaying these elections with one or other excuse by denying people their democratic rights”, he said and added that inordinate delay in conducting civic bodies election reflects dictatorial mindset of the present dispensation.

“With its assiduous efforts the PDP had restored peoples’ faith in the democracy but the present government is trying to undermine such democratic institutions through its deceit tactics”, he said. “Various schemes for urban developments have been lying defunct  as the Central government has blocked funding due to failure of the state government to conduct elections of the civic bodies”, he said.

Ridiculing government’s claim of empowering Panchayats, he said that all assurances of the government in this regard remained only on papers. “Over nine months have been passed after completion of the Panchayat elections but no step has been taken so far to conduct elections of Block Samities”, he said, adding, “I failed to understand why government has been adopting delay tactics in constituting Block Samities”. “For making the Panchayati Raj Institutions functional in real sense it is necessary to constitute Block and Zila Samities”, he argued but regretted that the present government was not interested in constituting both the Samities. He, however, warned against nominating Ministers as head of the Zila Samities of the Panchayati Raj Institutions. “We will not allow the government to erode representative character of the Panchayati Raj Institutions by imposing Ministers as head of Zila Samities”, he warned.

Taking a dig at coalition regime for indulged into deceit tactics to sideline elected representatives in development process of their own areas, former Chief Minister reminded that the District Development Board (DDBs) were the  institutions which were created to ensure balance development with the involvement of elected representatives but importance of this institution was also undermined by the present regime. “During the last three years not even in single DDB meeting were held in which entire Cabinet was present”, he maintained and added that views of the elected representatives were not given importance in the DDB meeting as the government has been adopting pick and choose policy to release funds for the development activities. “DDBs meetings have become just a cosmetic exercise to hoodwink the people because suggestions given by the elected representatives were never given serious thought was by the government during the last three years”, he said.

 “Dignity and sanctity of highest democratic institutions like Assembly is eroded during the last three years because no serious discussion is allowed in the House”, he maintained and added that issues raised by the elected representatives in the Assembly were also not seriously taken by the government.

Responding to the issues raised by the locals during the meeting, PDP patron assured that his party would vociferously take up these issues for their redressal.

Former Rajya Sabha member Trilok Singh Bajwa, Thakur Balbir Singh, Ved Mahajan, Daman Bhasin, Hussain Ali Wafa, Rajinder Singh Manhas, Pawan Dev Singh, Inderjit Singh Slathia, Chander Slathia, Varinder Singh Sonu, Sukhdev Singh, Sunita Kumari, Javed Choudhary and others also spoke on the occasion.