E-Paper
Reduced to a rubber stamp, says Srinagar DDC chairman Aftab Malik
Aftab Malik was elected to Srinagar’s 14-member district development council, one of the 20 set up as the third tier of the panchayati raj system
Aftab Malik, the Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party leader and chairman of Srinagar’s district development council (DDC), on Thursday complained that they had been reduced to “rubber stamps” and asked the government to involve the elected representatives in the battle against the coronavirus pandemic.
Malik was elected to the 14-member council in Srinagar, one of the 20 councils set up as the third tier of the panchayati raj system in the union territory. The eight-phase election to the DDCs in November-December 2020 was described as a “new chapter” in Jammu and Kashmir’s history. Aftab Malik said it was not even close.
“In the last five months, neither I nor my members have been able to do a single developmental work. I and my members feel that we are just mere rubber stamps,” Aftab Malik said, complaining that he was mostly confined to a room at Srinagar’s circuit house, his new home due to security considerations.
“Even the people who came out to vote for me or my DDC members last year feel we can’t do anything for them, which hurts us,” said Malik.
Malik said Srinagar was reporting the maximum number of Covid-19 cases and deaths in Jammu and Kashmir, but neither he or his DDC members were involved in the fight against Covid-19. On Wednesday evening, Srinagar had 7,328 active Covid cases and reported a total of 709 deaths.
“The officials are doing everything of their own and don’t feel that representatives of the people need to be involved… nobody asks us (for our views) or bothers to involve us,” he said, adding that the DDC had been left to fend for themselves and struggle to make payments even for fuel or the circuit house.
Tariq Ahmad, director in the rural development department, said it was wrong to say that the DDCs weren’t involved and panchayati raj institutions are closely involved in the fight against Covid at the panchayat levels.
The newly-elected district development councils did get off to a rocky start when the freshly-elected members across party lines boycotted a training programme organised by the government to demand what they called a “dignified monthly honorarium” and a better status in the warrant of precedence.
In April, the government did make changes to the warrant of precedence to place the DDC chairman on par with ministers of state. But Malik said it didn’t bring about any real difference on the ground.
“Since the Covid outbreak (second wave), I was called for just one meeting but it was a last-minute invitation. So I declined to attend,” he said.
The DDC chairman, who has been assigned three security guards, said he hardly went to his designated office since it was about 20 km from Srinagar city; “too far for other members of the council to travel”.
Malik said his only consolation is that Deputy Commissioner Srinagar picks his phone.
The rural development department, which is responsible for DDCs, “is our parent department but the officials never bother to inform us where the money for developmental projects is.”
Rural development department’s Tariq Ahmad said funds for the district development councils come from the capital expenditure budget which is prepared by respective deputy commissioners. “Every council is supposed to get ₹10 crore through CAPEX budget. I am not aware why the Srinagar DDC hasn’t got the money released yet.”
“Even the new setups for Covid which will come up in every panchayat will get the money from the panchayat funds only,” he said, a reference to Lt Governor Manoj Sinha’s direction to set up five Covid beds including one with oxygen in every panchayat.
“Directed DCs & Health Department to ensure 5-bedded Covid Care Centre in every Panchayat of J&K as many households may not have the option for isolation of Covid positive patients in their own residence. Each Centre to have One Oxygen-Supported Bed for immediate patient care,” Sinha’s office said in a tweet.
