‘From LG, Union Ministers to PM; we will meet all for relief to Jammu people’
STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: Prominent of the former Councillors of Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC), irrespective of their political affiliations, sat together on Tuesday and discussed the vital issues being faced by the people of Jammu.
during the meeting in Jammu on Tuesday.
The meeting was chaired by senior BJP leader, former Mayor and former General Secretary of All India Mayors’ Council Rajinder Sharma.
The former elected representatives of the Urban Local Body expressed serious concern over the vital issues, including shattered work culture in JMC, increase in crime in the city, sudden rise in addiction among the youth, corruption among government officials, especially in the Revenue and Mining departments and other such burning issues of Jammu.
The former Councillors said that be it street lights, revenue collection, lanes and drains, garbage disposal, cleanliness and sanitation, water and power supply, building permissions, condition of graveyards, blockage clearance of sewerage pits in the city, crematoriums cleanliness, menace of stray dogs and other animals, hanging wires and damaged-tilted electric poles and other day-to-day activities-there is a steep downfall in work culture and there is no accountability since tenure of JMC got over in November, 2023. People are moving from pillar to post for getting the works done but none is paying any heed.
Addressing the meeting, Rajinder Sharma said that after the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has brought in lot of development and changes in the lives of people of the Union Territory, which have been implemented here successfully by the administration led by Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha.
“But certain elements in government are hell bent to sabotage the positive achievements of the government and LG led administration by resorting to red-tapism, corruption, delay tactics, having poor public connect etc,” he maintained.
The BJP leader said that the elected Councillors had no administrative skills but still most of the public grievances were resolved by their positive role but presently when the system is being helmed by the well trained administrators as bureaucrats, there is distress among the public and mess is increasing with every passing day while the same staff was there at work and now too it is also the same staff.
“In our tenure 92,000 street lights were installed in Jammu and those were well maintained also but now public is suffering as many of these lights are damaged and there is none to correct them,” he continued. That was time when department used to call the complainant for street light rectification but now complainant is calling to deaf ears. That shows lack of commitment, accountability and ‘who cares’ attitude on the part of JMC.
Sharma also said that when the elected body was at the helm, budget of JMC was increased from Rs. 25 crore to 152 crore in 2023 due to which immense developments took place but today there is no money for completing the works and the contractors are not paid for long.
“In our tenure budget was executing developmental works in the month of May itself while now same is not being done in the month of November or December, Sharma said.
He said that the biggest achievement then was Bagh-e-Bahu corridor, which is now not being properly maintained and even cleanliness is not proper there.
The BJP leader said that even revenue collection has drastically fallen presently.
“Revenue generated from hoardings, NOCs has steeply reduced and same is the case of Building Permissions, which are being given illegally further putting JMC accounts to losses,” the former Mayor asserted, adding that the officials are listening to none and the entire system appears to be collapsed.
No fresh tender for sewerage blockage cleanse has been called due to which public is suffering. Water tankers are supplying water to affluent but poor helpless needy is waiting endlessly for his turn, he added.
“Crime has touched new skies and the Patwaries are not moving even an inch till their palms are greased”, he said and demanded white paper on status of State Land, especially for Supwal, Vijaypur, Bari Brahmana, Balol Nalla running from Sunjwan to Marh and on both sides of Ring Road. He sought all encroachments of Nazool, Ghas Charai, Custodian and Khads to be removed. He said development by PM Modi in J&K have raised the land prices here which have activated the land mafia for grabbing the state lands and khads, nallahs, area adjoining ring road etc have been encroached and for all this Patwaries, Naib Tehsildars and Tehsildars should be held accountable.
“Why the same Inspectors are being posted as SHOs in prominent Police Stations of Jammu,” he asked, adding that in coming days they will meet Lieutenant Governor, Union Ministers and even PM with all these issues.
Former Mayor and Councillors thanked Raj Daluja Ji, who while acknowledging seriousness of the problem of water supply through tankers, donated a water tanker for supplying water to needy and poor citizens of Jammu. He said he has always been in forefront for welfare and cause of Jammuites.
Prominent among those present in the meeting were Anil Kumar, Kapil Chib, Pramod Kapahi, Ashok Singh Manhas, Tripta Devi, Teerath Kour, Anu Bali, Gorav Chopra, Sunita Gupta, Ghar Singh Chib, Rashpal Bhardwaj, Neelam Nargotra, Rani Devi, Sobat Ali, Anita Sharma, Ashwani Sharma and others.
