Dear Editor,
Apropos to the State Government decision regarding doubling of some perks for the MLAs of Jammu and Kashmir State Assembly I am at loss to understand the rationale behind the quantum of rewards being awarded to the MLAs. According to the news the CDF, TA, car, housing loans and fee per sitting of the MLAs will be doubled. As per the new rates our MLAs will be entitled for Rs. 3 crore as CDF, Rs. 2 lakh as TA, car loan Rs. 10 lakh, housing loan Rs. 20 lakh and fee per sitting Rs. 2,000. Everyone, with a bit of common sense, is at his wits end to understand whether it is a reward for their nationalist or antinationalist behavior which they have been exhibiting in the Assembly, or for stalling the business of the House, hurling chairs and microphones upon each other, slapping and blowing each other and using the slang language in the august House. Or for advocating and justifying the antinational activities of terrorists, stone pelters, separatists harbouring the terrorism, fanning the fire of communalism and spitting the venom of hatred. Or branding those as antinational advocating for the revocation of Article 370 hurdle in the path of progress, development, industrialisation of the State and a greatest set back to the security and integrity of the country. The MLAs getting bonanza of gifts, perhaps, don’t know how they have been hurting the sentiments of the voters whom they have betrayed by working in resonance with the political parties in the Assembly hell bent destroying the peace, tranquility of India lock, stock and barrel. In short the State Assembly has been converted into a wrestling arena where the MLAs, irrespective of the parties they belong to, playing fixed bouts for their personal benefits.
It is worth mentioning here that our MLAs and MLCs have been provided with comfortable delue cars, enhancement in their salaries, pensions and other perks from time to time which is too much to their performance in the LA or LC. Evaluating the performance of our MLAs and MLCs, during the just concluded budget session, it is observed that every MLA, irrespective of the party he belonged, was found nowhere behind their counterparts from the NC, Congress, BJP and PDP in advocating antinationalism and sabotaging the interests and cause of Jammu region. Jammu and Kashmir State is known as the most corrupt State which contributes only 0.76 per cent in national GDP and is the second highest grant receiving State in the country. Feathering the nest of our MLAs time and again neglecting the daily wagers, PoK refugees, need based workers, unemployed, payment of the salaries every month and regularisation of the contractual employees will not be less than an injustice with those who are sparing no efforts in discharging their duties honestly. It must be borne in mind that the money does not grow on trees but it comes from the pocket of the poor who pays tax while purchasing Beeri, tea, match boxes, clothes and eatables. Misappropriation of poor man’s money is considered as the greatest sin in the civilizsed societies.
Shiv Kumar Padha
Basohli.