| BJP DDC members join opposition to boycott Govt’s training programme | | Cutting across party lines DDC members demand ‘respectable position’ in protocol, hike in honorarium | | 
Early Times Report
Jammu, Mar 9: A day after administration issued its amended warrant of precedence, newly elected members of the District Development Councils (DDCs) including chairpersons and vice-chairpersons were on the streets demanding ‘dignity and honour’ in protocol.
Cutting across party lines all DDC members boycotted a two-day training-cum-workshop- which was supposed to be inaugurated today, as mark of protest against, what they alleged, ‘betrayal’ by the authorities.
Newly elected chairman of the DDC Jammu, Bharat Bhushan, who belongs to BJP, was in the forefront to lodge protest against “cruel joke” with them. “In other parts of the country, status of the chairperson and vice-chairperson of the DDCs is at par with Cabinet minister and minister of state (MoS) respectively. And status of DDC member is equal to MLA”, he pointed out but regretted that in J&K position of the DDC members have been degraded by the bureaucracy. “As mark of protest we have unanimously decided to boycott this programme and lodge our protest. We want the administration to review its wrong decision and accord ministerial status to the chairperson, MoS status to vice-chairperson and members to a status as given to MLAs,” he said.
Newly elected DDC members of BJP joined with agitating members of PDP, NC, Congress, Apni Party, CPM, Independents to get respectable position the official protocol.
J&K administration has amended its warrant of precedence on Monday, placing the DDC chairpersons equivalent to administrative secretaries, vice chairpersons to vice-chancellors of universities and the DDC members to district magistrates.
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. |
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