BDC Chairpersons of Chenab Valley blames bureaucracy as hurdles for strengthening of PRIs at grass root level in J&K

JKPCC Vice President felicitated newly elected BDC Chairman's

Kishtwar, December 17: - Around 15 Block Development Council (BDC) chairmen, who fought the recent BDC elections from Doda, Bhaderwah and Inderwal constituencies as Independents, were honoured felicitated during a party function organised by Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee, Vice President, G. M Saroori here at his residence Kishtwar.

While speaking in a function newly elected Block Development Council (BDC) Chairpersons of Chenab Valley today launched a scathing attack on the government for their failure in fulfilling the promises made with them and with Panchayat Raj Institutions viz Panches & Sarpanches— and blames bureaucracy as biggest hurdle for strengthening of PRIs at grass root level in J&K.

The newly elected BDC Chairman's, said that recently held back to village Phase II is cruel joke with the people living in far flung areas of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir as the government fails to address the issues raised by the people during Phase I of much hyped Back to Village program.

They said that the government claims that Rs.5 crores were kept at the disposal of every Deputy Commissioner—but they did nothing where the said amount was spent and blamed the officials of various government departments for making an attempt to derail the PRIs. 

They said that the officials pay no heed towards their repeated requests with regard to making the institution of BDCs and PRIs functional so that they can put their services for betterment of public delivery system. They said that they were not provided staff to function beside said that the work culture in majority of the government departments is a total failure and people are being deprived from the benefits on ground. 

They said that government decision to bring 22 departments under the ambit of PRIs and BDCs as hollow slogans to hoodwink the people added that most of the officials are missing from the ground. They said that the officials did not visit the ground while they have been asked to monitor the implementation of government run schemes to which bureaucracy was a biggest hurdle since the bureaucrats did not want the PRIs and BDCs to flourish since implementation of PRIs Act on ground left the bureaucracy as toothless tigers. They said that without incorporation of 73rd and 74th amendments of Panchayat Raj Act in Jammu and Kashmir— the PRIs are not less than a rubber stamp.

They said that people had repose the faith on them and overwhelming participated in Panchayat Elections despite all odds and called upon the government to fulfill all the promises made with them during the announcement of the elections. They said that PRIs and BDC Chairperson's of Chenab valley fully support the ongoing strike of PRIs and BDC chairmen's and threaten to launch agitation in Chenab valley as well in case the issues raised by the agitating PRIs could be addressed.

Among those BDC Chairman's Nowsheen Begum, Mohd Haneef, Mohd Abass Rather, Makhoo Begum, Shabir Ahmed Naik, Sarshad Nissar, Amina Begum, Fatima Begum, Abdul Gani, Muzaffar Hussain, Suraj Prakash, Mariam Begum, Shareefa Begum and senior Congress leaders including Chowdhary Farooq Ahmed, Asgar Hussain Khangi, Ali Mohd Naik, Akhtar Hussain, Nadeem Sharief Niaz, Mohd Iqbal Teli, Irshad Ahmed Naik, Bidya Lal Sharma, Mohd Yusuf, Piyaray Lal, Javed Ahmed, Jaffer Hussain and others were present on the occasion.