JAMMU: MLA Nagrota Devender Singh Rana on Tuesday took to unique way of invoking the attention of the government by raising a banner protest against the perpetual delay of the PDP-BJP dispensation in making functional the Jindrah Tehsil Office, which had been sanctioned during the tenure of Omar Abdullah as Chief Minister.
Rana lowered the banner, reading “ACTIVATE JINDRAH TEHSIL”, only after Sukhnandan, who was presiding over the proceedings of the House in absence of the Speaker, assured that the Minister Incharge would do everything possible to activate the Jindrah Tehsil.
Later, speaking during the discussions on the grants of Revenue and Relief Department, the MLA Nagrota urged the PDP-BJP government to activate the Jindrah Tehsil by posting the staff in the Tehsil. He said the Jindrah Tehsil was created by Omar Abdullah Government on 21st October, 2014 vide Cabinet Decision No 187/14/2014.
He said the Cabinet decision had followed the report and recommendations of a high level Khursheed Ganai Committee, which felt the need for a Tehsil office at Jindrah, the oldest Niabat of Jammu and Kashmir.
“Even if the government had financial constraints, these units could have been made functional by posting staff under internal arrangement in order to satiate the urges and aspirations of the people and making vibrant the administration”, he said, adding that the delay in making these units functional has defeated the purpose of having these units aimed at providing respite to people of far-flung areas, who are required to cover long distances for getting their issues settled.
Rana said that the present dispensation is on record having assured in the Legislative Assembly that the matter with regard to sanctioning of staff for Tehsil office at Jindrah and other administrative units is being examined by the Finance Department. “Twice I raised this issue in the Assembly last year but except assurances, the government has not made any forward movement in this regard”, he said.