Jammu Tawi, Mar 09: The newly elected district development council members on Tuesday staged protests and boycotted a government programme in the winter capital Jammu to protest against the administration’s orders on their status and honorarium.
Cutting across the party lines, members of district development councils on Tuesday staged protests in the lawns of convention Centre Jammu where they all had gathered from across the UT to attend a training programme organized by the Rural Development Department.
All the elected DDC members from BJP, NC, PDP, PC, Congress, Apni Party and independents staged protests outside the center over their honorarium and protocol, saying it was a humiliation and insult to them. They refused to attend the training programme, which was scheduled to be inaugurated by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha.
This prompted the government to cancel the high-profile programme.
“This is our insult and humiliation,” Shabir Ahmad Lone, DDC member from Rohama Rafiabad told.
He said they will en-masse resign if the government will not revoke the orders. Muzaffar Ahmad Dar, DDC member from Tujjar Sharief said that “DDC members were promised to be given powers at par with MLAs, but the bureaucrats are against it”.
“DDC protocol powers disappointment – humiliation. Problem is the new stakeholder created by the union Govt post August 5- BUREAUCRAT. Ever powerful. He/she will never facilitate democracy. will c anybody elected by people as a threat. This is a simple analysis. And no rocket science,” tweeted Sajjad Lone, the chairman of the Peoples’ Conference.
“They have issued orders without consulting us,” he said.
Administration of Jammu & Kashmir Union Territory yesterday amended its warrant of precedence, placing chairpersons of district development councils equal to administrative secretaries and inspector generals of police.
According to the warrant of precedence, vice-chairpersons and members of DDC will be equal to vice-chancellors of universities and chairpersons of block development councils, respectively.
The government yesterday also announced that chairperson will get Rs 35000 per month while vice-chairperson and member will respectively get Rs 25000 and Rs 15000.
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