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NC, Cong blame-game causing dismal delivery of administration: Tarigami

KT NEWS SERVICE. Dated: 5/27/2013 11:53:22 PM

SRINAGAR, May 27: Expressing serious concern over the administrative inertia afflicting the developmental situation in Jammu and Kashmir, the CPI (M) State Secretary Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami has held the blame-game between coalition partners directly responsible for a lackluster approach of the officers on the ground.
The CPI (M) leader was addressing a public rally at Town Hall Kulgam. Earlier the CPI (M) activists held a massive protest demonstration in Kulgam today against dismal functioning of Public Distribution System (PDS), food security bill, hike in electricity fee, miserable power scenario and pending pension cases of widows, old age, orphans in the social welfare department. Thousands of CPI (M) activists lead by senior CPI (M) leader Abdul Hamid Wani marched from Bus Stand to Town Hall Kulgam carrying placards, Banners and shouting slogans.
Tarigami said that it is unfortunate the two coalition partners in the State have presently nothing common in-between except for the accusations and counter accusations which has badly affected the State’s hapless people. “What type of delivery, one can expect from the officers, when their ministers are leveling serious allegations against each other? The present dispensation was expected to deliver on the ground but its dismal performance gets reflected in every sector of life,” he observed.
He observed the coalition partners in the State have remained to a large extent unsuccessful to live up to the purpose and aims set by the people through their mandate as almost all tall promises made by them have been left unaddressed during the last five years. He said that not only the development of infrastructure has come to a grinding halt during these years but the government has not been able to solve the basic problems of people.
“Various centrally sponsored schemes are yet to be completed even if quick announcements of projects were made across the state. The much hyped Panchayat elections has now concluded in a lackadaisical attitude of the government towards empowerment of Panchayat representatives. This has incremented into the element of vulnerability of these village heads. Similarly, most parts of the state are reeling under constant darkness in absence of electricity. There is no movement forward vis-à-vis the much hyped return of power projects from the NHPC, he added.
It is ironic, that the state government takes pride in saying that it purchases power on much higher rates then the revenue it can realize from the consumers. Whether right or wrong, this statement puts a question mark on the administrative efficiency of this government.
Tarigami said the dismal revenue recovery and the Transmission, Distribution losses of over 68 per cent in Kashmir and over 49 per cent in Jammu last year, means the government is in deep slumber vis-à-vis addressing the shortage of manpower in the Power Development Department. Tarigami said Power Development Department (PDD) has failed to create a buffer stock of electricity transformers at Divisional level to address the situation surfaced due to damaged transformers. The step-down transformers, installed in every neighborhood develop technical snags and the consumers are left helpless in darkness till the process of lifting, repairing and re-installing a faulty transformer is completed in weeks together. Similarly, many areas especially in Kashmir division suffer for want electricity transmission lines and poles.
On the dismal functioning of Public Distribution System in Jammu and Kashmir, the CPI (M) State Secretary said that a substantial number of families have been left unregistered with Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution (CAPD) and they are forced to procure the ration from open market at un-affordable prices.
Tarigami remarked that ration is being provided to the households on 2001 census and the government does not bother about the families that have split since 2001 and need ration. Though ration has been increased for BPL category, but such measures are adhoc and selective, he added. Tarigami said there is dire need to review the ration distribution as per the latest census of 2011. Instead of enlarging the scope of the PDS, these selective measures amount to reducing its spirit and reducing the access of ordinary people to basic nutrition. He said the government was not in a mood to infuse responsiveness and accountability in its machinery to solve the peoples’ problems.
Criticizing the Food Security Bill which is pending in parliament, Tarigami said the proposed legislation will make Public Distribution System (PDS) dysfunctional. The state government must cut the unproductive expenditure and spend it on food for poor, the way ration is being provided at Rs 2/ Kg in few states in the country. The present poverty line figures of Rs 26 a day for an adult in rural India and Rs 32 in urban India continues to be the basis for access to Public Distribution System (PDS), which means larger sections of the poor will be legally excluded from the right to food.
Among others CPI (M) leaders Mohammad Afzal Parray, Ghulam Rasool Shiekh and Mohammad Yousuf lone also addressed the rally. Stressing on the need to enhance widow and old age pensions in the state, they termed it unfortunate that the pension cases of widows, old aged and orphans are pending before the social welfare department despite recent enhancement in budgetary allocations for the purpose. They said not only these pending cases must be cleared without any delay, but the government must seriously think and find ways and means to ensure welfare of this poor and miserable lot of the society.