Jammu: District Development Council (DDC) members of all parties including BJP Tuesday held a protest against the Jammu and Kashmir government’s orders about their honorarium and protocol at Jammu.
Department of Rural Development Department had invited the DDCs for training programme which was scheduled to be inaugurated by Lietuanant Governor Manoj Sinha.
The DDC members from BJP, NC, PDP, Congress, PC and other parties staged protests outside the convention centre and refused to attend the training programme saying honorarium and protocol announced by the Govt is humiliation for them.
Tejaswani Singh, DDC member Udhampur says that Government has done cruel joke with them.
“We won’t talk to any Official. We will talk to LG and Government of India only,” he said
“We were told that DDC members will be given status of MoS, but the bureaucrats don’t want it to happen. They deceived us. They are treating us like SPOs. When Govt wants to downgrade our state, how can we do work of people” a DDC member from Kulgam said.
He said if their demands were not fulfilled they will give mass resignation.
The government yesterday amended its warrant of precedence, placing chairpersons of district development councils equal to administrative secretaries and inspector generals of police.
As per the government order, the DDC chairpersons would get monthly honorarium of Rs 35,000 including Rs 1,500 travel allowance and Rs 500 telephone charges. Vice chairpersons will get Rs 25,000 including Rs 1,500 travel allowance and Rs 500 telephone charges and members will get Rs 15,000 including Rs 1,500 travel allowance and Rs 500 telephone charges.
DDC chairperson from Budgam Nazir Ahmad Khan said the government has played with their honour by lowering their status and left them red faced before their electorate.
“The Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) chairpersons are conferred with the cabinet status and members are enjoying MOS status. The Srinagar and Jammu mayors also enjoy the MoS status, while as we are representing the entire district and given a status of an administrative secretary,” he said.
Khan said the government issued the order of precedence deliberately ahead of the training programme to put a seal on it.
“We will not accept it…the situation in Kashmir is grave where we have to live under constant threat and accompany by our personal security officers (PSOs) and feed them as well. We spend Rs 3,000 to Rs 4,000 per day,” he said, adding this is not an issue of any party but “we have joined hands to protect our honour”. (Additional inputs from Agencies)
