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Administrative apathy more fatal than the pandemic: Mehbooba Mufti
Lambasting the Union government for abandoning people at the crucial juncture, former chief minister and People’s Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti on Wednesday said that administrative apathy coupled with mismanagement and nepotism is proving more fatal than the current pandemic
Lambasting the Union government for abandoning people at the crucial juncture, former chief minister and People’s Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti on Wednesday said that administrative apathy coupled with mismanagement and nepotism is proving more fatal than the current pandemic.
“From the rising graph of Covid-19 positive cases and fatalities caused by it, it is clear that the Jammu and Kashmir administration, like rest of the country, was caught unprepared to meet the exigencies,” Mehbooba said, adding that “nepotism and favouritism has crippled the administrative setup in the erstwhile state compounding miseries of people”.
She was addressing PDP’s provincial committee Jammu in a virtual meet attended by senior party leaders from across region.
Vice-president Abdul Hameed Choudhary, general secretaries, state secretaries, district presidents and others participated and shared their feedback about the current situation across region.
“The closure of these important road links has not only affected the business community but has also restricted options for those required to go for specialised medical treatment,” she added.
The PDP president said that non-availability of required health infrastructure and shortage of manpower at district level has compounded the issue.
“At place like Kishtwar and Ramban, ventilators installed a year ago remain non-functional due to unavailability of trained manpower,” she said. Many people have lost their lives allegedly due to non-availability of required medical facilities.
“Jammu was given the impression that Article 370 is the only hurdle in development and prosperity of the region. But today, even medicines are not available to people battling the pandemic,” she added.
She urged the party leaders to formulate emergency response strategy at district level and reach out to people at grassroots level.
Mehbooba said the administration, at the district level, has been crippled as the ruling dispensation in New Delhi is not allowing even the officers to take decisions required for the welfare of people.
“Independence and functioning of administration has been made hostage to the political aspiration of BJP and Jammu has been at the receiving end,” she said.
Mehbooba said Mughal Road and Kishtwar-Sinthan highways remained closed for vehicular traffic despite huge amount being spent on snow clearance only because those sitting in New Delhi consider surface connectivity of Pripanchal and Chenab Valley with Kashmir region detrimental to their political interests.
Mufti said efficiency, experience and competency are no more yardsticks for posting of officers at key places resulting into complete administrative chaos.
She said that the SC, ST population has been victimised in the name of anti-encroachment drives and people have been pushed to the walls to appease political heavyweights.
“All the sections of society including traders, industrialists, transports, farmers, labourers besides others are at a crossroad today due to official apathy and administrative inertia,” she said.
“The recent revelations by BJP leaders about functioning of the party and its leadership and facilitating corruption is indication of how rights of people are being muzzled to benefit few people connected to the ruling party,” she added.
