Block Development Chairman Association dissatisfied with Kishtwar government
Kishtwar-26.10.2020
Kishtwar Block Development Chairman Association held a meeting today at Dak Bungalow Kishtwar. The main purpose of the meeting was that the Central Government has issued a notice for the election of the Block Development Council and the District Development Chairman. Earlier it was promised that only those who are the Block Development Chairman will be elected as the District Development Chairman but the same is not happening.
Speaking to media, *Kishori Lal Shan, District President*, Block Development Chairman’s Association, said that the Government had earlier conducted the election of Block Development Chairman by the Sarpanch and Panch and it was informed at that time that the District Development Chairman will be elected from among them this time, but in the notification that has been issued now, there is no mentioning of panch, sarpanch, block chairmen.
He added that it is unfortunate that our country is worried about the coronavirus and our country’s GDP is running at a very low level and the central government is spending money on elections instead of protecting the people from this virus or increasing the GDP, which is affecting the common man and the whole.
“The promises made by the government to us turned out to be hollow and we were told at the time of swearing that the block development chairman is equal to the deputy commissioner but we do not hear a block development officer away from the deputy commissioner,” he added.
He further said that in the forthcoming elections of Block Development Council, neither the sarpanches have been asked nor the chairmen have been shifted by the district administration as per their whims and fancies which is totally unfair to the common man.
Besides, *District General Secretary Suraj Singh Parihar* said that the claims made by the former Governor of Jammu and Kashmir Satyapal Malik and the promises made to us were not implemented on the ground. Besides, the government used to make big claims with us that Under the Panchayati Raj Act, the Block Development Chairman will be honoured and whatever work is done in the Panchayats will be given full power but whatever is planned in the Panchayats or whatever the work of 14 FC to 15 FC, which should be in the jurisdiction of BDC but this is not happening at all, even after declarations of Planning Commission that 25% of funds raised under 15FC should be provided to BDC in order to spend in all it panchayat proportionally, but RDD department has never followed these directions.
The name of the chairman has been given in the block but no funds have been given and no power has been given in the panchayats. He further said that Panchayat is a distant matter and the district administration is not willing to talk to us.
In the meeting, the Block Development Chairman’s Association urged the Central Government, to direct Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir Manoj Sinha to hold the election of District Development Chairman under the Panchayati Raj Act. At the end of the meeting, it was decided to give the government one week and if our demand would not meet, it will be considered in the first week of November and we are ready to do whatever we have to do.
Meanwhile, Secretary Lalita Devi and Coordinator Hamida Begum also said that all the promises made by the government to us proved to be baseless.
