RAMNAGAR: Expressing grave concern over the highly pathetic political scenario in the State with elected representatives fighting for their own perks and privileges in the Assembly, Harsh Dev Singh, Chairman JKNPP and former Minister, regretted that with ever increasing woes the common man was left at the mercy of God.
He deplored that while the burning issues of general public had receded into the oblivion, the MLAs had forged unity inside the legislature irrespective of their political affiliations for enhanced powers and perks.
He was addressing public meetings in Marta and Dheeran villages of Ramnagar Constituency.
Addressing gathering at Dheeran, Harsh observed that rather than agitating the genuine concerns of their electorates, the MLAs initially chose to forge unity thereby putting pressure on the government for enhancement of their salaries, perks and CDF. He said that present session was an unusual and extra ordinary session in the history of legislature which witnessed the elected representatives repeatedly joining hands to fight for their own interests rather than agitating the woes of the common man. Castigating the BJP MLAs in particular, he said that while they had failed to agitate on the issue of imposition of service tax on pilgrimage to Mata Vaishno Devi, Dogra certificate to Jammu youth, roll back of new industrial policy, critical condition of power, ration and water supply in Jammu region, they were on the fore front of protests in the Assembly for promotion of their personal interests.
Questioning the moral authority of legislators demanding pay hike, perks, plots, enhanced CDF and more powers, Harsh said that the MLAs should ask for constitution of a commission for the purpose and should rather insist for more powers to the local bodies including municipalities and Panchayats as a measure of democratic decentralisation as assured by them during Elections. Re-iterating that demand for higher perks and plots to legislator was unreasonable and ill-timed, he said that the government was presently faced with the worst ever financial crises with the negligible wages of DRWs, and others remaining unpaid for months together.
Pointing towards the mis-utilisation of CDF by certain legislators, as recently reported in the media, Harsh called for strict vigil in the use of the said discretionary grant. Ridiculing the demand for enhancement of CDF by certain unscrupulous members as against several scrupulously honest MLAs, Harsh said that these MLAs had not utilised even 10 per cent of their CDF released to them after the new government was formed on 1st March, 2015. He pointed out that MLA Ramnagar had spent only Rs. 23 lakh till date out of Rs 187 lakh released by the planning department and needed to explain the reasons for his further demands.
He said that recent reports of some of the MLAs releasing CDF grants for personal reasons in favour of individual beneficiaries for repairs and renovations of their private houses for votes was required to be thoroughly probed.