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‘Shameful’: Jammu and Kashmir DDC status and salaries disappoint members
Srinagar DDC chairperson Aftab Malik said when he had met the LG, he was told that that status of chairman of the DDC will be equal to the rank of a minister of state (MoS).
A day after honorarium and warrant of precedence was announced by the Jammu and Kashmir government for District Development Council (DDC) chairpersons and DDC members, Peoples Conference chairman, Sajjad Lone, termed the protocol powers a 'disappointment' and 'humiliation'. A warrant of precedence refers to the hierarchy of positions in the government and lists associated protocols.
The DDC members of all the political parties held a protest in Jammu, where they were scheduled to take part in a training program organised by the government. After the protest, Lt Governor, Manoj Sinha did not attend the program.
"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.
Lone’s party won eight DDC seats and managed to win the posts of chairman, deputy chairman in Kupwara district and deputy chairman in Baramulla.
Srinagar DDC chairperson Aftab Malik, who is from Apni party said when he met the LG, he was told that that status of chairman of the DDC was equal to the rank of a minister of state (MoS). "The members of all the parties refused to take part in the program which was to be attended by the LG. The government is backtracking from its promise which has caused unease among the DDC members," he said, adding the program has now been cancelled.
The DDC members also held a protest saying that the honorarium is very little. Kaiser Ahmad, a DDC member from Harwan, said the honorarium was shameful. "This is really shameful we get 15k salary for a month .How can we work under such pennies to make our area better for us," he tweeted.
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On Monday, the J&K government announced an honorarium of ₹35,000 for chairmen, 25,000 for vice chairmen and ₹15,000 for DDC members. The government also issued the list of protocol for DDC members, chairmen and vice chairmen in the warrant of precedence.
While the DDC chairpersons are now equivalent to administrative secretaries, divisional commissioners and inspector general of police (IGPs). The vice chairpersons of the district development councils are equivalent to vice-chancellors of universities within the Union Territory.
