Are DDC members more worried about their salary and protocol than public service?
POONCH TODAY NEWS
POONCH: Cutting cross party lines, newly elected DDC representatives, few days back, joined hands and lodged a strong protest against government, not for a public issue, but for their own salaries and protocol. In response to a govt order, which was issued few days ago related to protocol and salary of DDC members, Chairpersons and Vice Chairpersons, all the DDC representatives came on one platform and this showed that their main motto was only to get salary, protocol and media limelight, because majority of them are first time leaders and not aware of ground realities about Panchayti Raj institution. However, government is likely to adjust few of the demands raised by DDC members in addition of strengthening first and second tier of governance by giving more powers and control over few departments from next financial year. It is pertinent to mention here that majority of elected representatives are form those parties which boycotted Panchayat elections (1st and 2nd tier) in 2018 and 2019. In fact, these parties never wanted full fledge Panchayti Raj institutions to be functional on ground. Now, when the union government provided an opportunity to all by successfully holding DDC elections, few double faced leaders have forgotten their old despicable tactics and instead of thanking union government for conducting first ever DDC elections, they preferred to lodge a protest over their salaries and protocol rather than raising issues of public importance. Few DDC representatives were seen on media beating around the bush that they will build roads, buildings, bridges even when such subjects are not under their domain till now as government still has not framed guidelines highlighting role of DDC member, Chairperson and Vice Chairperson. These DDC representatives need to learn their domain of work first as they are DDC representatives for rural areas only. They should not give statements out of the logic and should stop day dreaming like “Mungri Lal.” Even, one of the representatives, few days ago in a low tone, in an official function, said to his friend, “I shall work for bringing major road projects to Poonch and Rajouri districts” and after listening to this unripe statement, his friend replied, “These works are not under your domain right now, so please don’t fly.”
Majority of DDC members are not aware of the fact that It’s a DDC council for Rural development which operates in rural areas and not in urban areas, so these first timer DDC members, Chairpersons and Vice Chairpersons, should learn all aspects of Panchayti Raj institutions, their duties and domain of work, else, the day is not far away when people will find them building castles in the air to befool the people. People at grass root level need development and to address their genuine concerns, these newly elected DDC members, Chairpersons and Vice Chairpersons must have full knowldge of Panchayti Raj institutions for better delivery of governance to the people at their doorsteps. However, J&K UT government reportedly is looking into all aspects of strengthening all the three tiers of Panchayti Raj institutions and directions in this case are likely to be come in public domain shortly.
