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| Indecisive Sajad Lone makes people suffer | | Kabhi Haan, Kabhi Naa! | | Hyder Ali
Early Times Report
Srinagar, Apr 21: After attending a crucial meeting, as Social Welfare Minister at Kupwara last week, Sajad Gani Lone, still seems to be in Kabhi haan, Kabhi na mood as he has not joined the office yet.
Sajad had surprised everyone by making a special appearance at Kupwara and by attending the meeting chaired by the Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti. It was his first appearance after tendering his resignation from the council of ministers. Senior BJP leaders had claimed that Sajad's resignation has not been accepted and he continues to be their cabinet colleague.
Sources said Sajad's absence has left the department headless making the destitute suffer.
Sources said while other departments have geared up works in Mehbooba's regime, the Social Welfare department is on a reverse mode only because the minister has skipped his duties right from day he tendered the resignation but it was not accepted and BJP senior leaders claimed that Lone is their cabinet colleague and he has not called it quits.
It is understood that the implementation of various schemes aimed to benefit the downtrodden are in shambles, while there's equally no accountability in the working of the Social Welfare Department.
"Hundreds of widows and other destitute including orphans who would otherwise avail some benefits from the department have been left high and dry," the official sources said.
Sources said senior officials in the department have taken Sajad's absence as a blessing where they are "answerable before nobody."
Sources said there has been so much of lethargic approach in the working of the department that even as the Commissioner Secretary Social Welfare was transferred on April 11 vide a Cabinet order, the new officer didn't take charge for days together.
The chaos has equally given a major setback to the government plan of setting up of a Juvenile Justice Boards(JJBs) in the state.
Last year in response to a Public Interest Litigation by social activist, TanviAhuja, the state High court sought implementation of Juvenile Justice Act in the state.
On December 1, 2015, while observing that Juvenile Justice Act was not implemented on ground in the state, the High Court had directed the government to constitute Juvenile Justice Boards by February 2, 2016.
"Though in the past three months there was delay due to political uncertainty now there's a new uncertainty over the fate of the minister," said a top official in the Civil Secretariat in Jammu adding that the General Administrative Department has been informed about the "messy state of affairs."
Sajad Lone resigned from the newly formed PDP-BJP government, just a day after he was sworn in on April 4. A decision on his resignation is yet to be taken as Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti awaits a final word from BJP since he was made a minister from the quota of the saffron party. But BJP till now has been silent over the issue.
48-year-old Lone, son of former separatist leader Abdul Gani Lone, had tendered his resignation to Mehbooba apparently unhappy over the portfolio of Social Welfare that was given.
Sajad was equally unsatisfied in the previous Mufti Mohammed Sayeed government, when he was allocated Animal Husbandry portfolio, over which he had planned to resign. Though that time he wanted something better than "PashuPalan", he was persuaded "not to press too hard for it."
This time, however, Lone didn't meet any BJP leaders in Jammu and instead left for the national capital, after tendering his resignation.
Though he is understood to have met BJP top brass in New Delhi, there has been no word of confirmation on his fate. On the other hand, unsatisfied Sajad's persistent silence has left the rumor mills go wild.
However, his relationship with PDP looks a bit skeptical as he continues to share good chemistry with some of the main cabinet ministers from the party.
In fact some of these ministers, particularly the one whose family is into automobile business in Kashmir, had persistently requested him not to resign. But Sajad remained firm on his stand. Sources said the minister is still lobbying for him as "Sajad happens to be my buddy since school days."
After his maiden victory 2014 Assembly elections, Sajad emerged as prospective BJP-ally when he called on Prime Minister Narender Modi and subsequently told media that he had discovered a "BadaBhai" in Modi.
Lone could not be contacted. |
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