STATE TIMES NEWS
SRINAGAR: Former Minister of state for Finance and Independent legislator from Udhampur Assembly constituency Pawan Gupta on Monday demanded setting up of Judicial Commission before notifying backward villages in the State and ascertain the criteria fixed by the government in the past.
Every notified backward village is entitled for reservation in jobs and promotions as per the fixed criteria.
Raising the issue during the question hour in the State Assembly Pawan Gupta alleged that no standard criteria has been fixed so far when it comes to notifying backward villages in the state.
“Most of the time it is done at the mercy of the heavy weight politician of the area or sitting minister of the assembly constituency from the ruling party. The opposition members also remain at the mercy of these powerful politicians to extract their pound of flesh”.
Gupta demanded setting up of Judicial commission to ascertain the criteria adopted in the past. He said judicial commission is the need of the hour to ensure deprived population living in back ward area get due representation and fair distribution of resources is done at the ground level.
Raising another burning issue of upgrading schools under the scheme of Sarv Shiksha Abhiyaan (SSA) Pawan Gupta said in the past majority of schools upgraded from primary to middle and middle to high school have been found locked and with thin attendance. He said records were tampered with to upgrade the schools on political consideration while the real benefit of the scheme never percolated to the ground level for the welfare of the common masses. He cited numerous examples to back his claim on the floor of the house.
Meanwhile, during the zero hour Udhampur legislator raised the issue of strike by PHE Workers and expressed serious concern over the prevailing situation in far flung areas. People are deprived of safe drinking water due to striking PHE workers. The entire Jammu region is suffering but the alliance government is sleeping over the issue and not taking concrete steps to address their genuine demands pending for a long time, Gupta said while highlighting the hardships faced by the people due to scarcity of water.
