 Early Times Report
Jammu, Nov 1: Holding district development meetings is only a ritual for politicians, who usually are totally unaware about the issues, confronted by people of particular area.
It once again came to fore recently, when Member Parliament (Lok Sabha) Jugal Kishore Sharma convened a meeting of District Development and Monitoring Committee, Samba but was caught unaware that the kerosene supply in the district had been stopped for the last nearly four months and that too reportedly on the instructions of a BJP Minister from same district.
Even the repeated protests of kerosene oil dealers and consequent orders of Divisional Commissioner Jammu to District Development Commissioner (DDC) Samba to restart the kerosene supply has made no change, which also speaks volumes about the pressure of the BJP Minister on the DDC.
The kerosene oil dealers informed Early Times that a total of 12 kerosene oil tankers, each with capacity of 12,000 kiloliters of oil-was supplied to district Samba but for the last four months only one tanker supply has been given to entire district.
"Majority of area of district is hilly or border belt, where large number of poor population resides, who have no LPG connections and even some have no electricity supply. These villagers depend on kerosene oil for light during night hours and even for cooking, but for the last four months, they have been leading a very miserable life", they said, adding that locals have been complaining , but there was no let off in the grievances.
They further alleged that on instructions of a BJP minister from Samba district the kerosene supply was stopped. "Most kerosene oil dealers were associated with former National Conference Minister Surjeet Singh Slathia but since the BJP Minister got the same ministry, he as an act of vengeance, stopped the kerosene supply, hurting the oil dealers", they said, adding that Slathia had called on DDC Samba, along with hundreds of kerosene oil dealers and local public for restoration of oil supply but all in vain, which also spoke about the pressure mounted by the Minister on DDC Samba to stop the supply.
Former Minister Surjeet Singh Slathia said that he had called on DDC Sheetal Nanda and she had assured her to restore the supply but it did not happen. "I shall take up the matter with CAPD Minister Zulfikar Choudhary, after annual darbar opening in Jammu" Slathia added.
Sources said that the DDC Samba had been giving false excuse that people of area had LPG connections so there was no requirement of kerosene oil. "But if in Jammu and Srinagar, there is no reduction in supply of kerosene oil, why selectively supply to Samba was halted only", they said, adding, "Under a well planned conspiracy and false pretext of LPG connections, the instruction of BJP Minister have been followed by faithful DDC".
Even Divisional Commissioner Jammu had given instructions to DDC Samba, Sheetal Nanda to restore the kerosene supply but she refused to obey Div Com's orders, which itself narrated the arrogance of DDC.
Strongly criticizing the District administration Samba, former Minister Sardar Manjeet Singh termed the decision as totally unjust and arrogant. "Due to cross border shelling there is total chaos in border areas of Samba but district administration is totally missing. The Army has ordered villagers to switch off their lights to avert Pakistan shelling but how will do to spend nights, in absence of kerosene oil?", he said.
Officers at Divisional Commissioner's office said that DDC Samba has yet to reply to the letter forwarded by Divisional commissioner Jammu.
BJP Minister CP Ganga, was unavailable for comments but his PA said that DDC had conducted a survey and there was no requirement of kerosene supply as all have LPG connections. Even Director CAPD and CAPD Minister Zulfikar Choudhary were reportedly willing to release the kerosene supply but they have been saying that DDC Samba has written a letter not to release the kerosene oil, which itself narrated the arrogance of DDC Samba. |
