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| Home Deptt ignored warning of security threat to Panchs, Sarpanchs | | MLA holds Govt responsible, says 'Minister gave false assurance' | | early times report
Srinagar, Jan 13: What has turned out to be a serious security lapse on part of the Omar Abdullah government which cost lives of at least 2 sarpanchs in north Kashmir's Sopore area and resulted in critical injuries to another, it has come to light that the state's Home department had ignored a specific warning of threat to the lives of panchayat members from a legislator of the area.
Holding the state government responsible for deaths of panchayat members, People’s Democratic Party MLA from Sangrama constituency in Bar-amulla district, Syed Basharat Bukhari, said that the government had ignored his specific warning over risk to the lives of panchs and sarpanchs in north Kashmir's four blocks. Incide-ntally, the killings have actually taken place in those very blocks which the MLA had pointed towards as 'extremely sensitive'.
"In the last Assembly session I had brought a call attention motion and asked the government to provide security to panchs and sarpanchs in extremely sensitive blocks of Wagoora, Sopore, Pattan and Sangrama.
I had highlighted the risk to the lives of the panchayat members in these areas", Basharat Bukhari told media here. He accused the government of being insensitive and irresponsible towards security of sarpanchs and panchs. "The Minister for Home had assured me that they would provide security to the panchayat members in the identified areas and even in front of the Director General of Police (DGP) he had assured security to them", Bukhari said adding
that the government had failed to protect the lives of members of the grass root institutions as a clear case of apathy. He said the government even after killing of a Dy sarpanch at Wagoora and a Sarpanch at Palhalan Pattan had given assurances of security which only turned out to be mere "lip service". "Despite assurances nothing has been done to protect them, I
completely hold the government responsible for the killings of the panchs and sarpanchs", he added. Pertinently, suspected militants had Friday fired upon a sarpanch, Habibullah Mir son of Mohammad Akbar Mir resident of Gooripora Bomie, Sopore, in his house compound. The sarpanch was shifted to Sub District Hospital Sopore in serious condition where he succumbed to his injuries.
Within 24 hours, millitants once again fired upon a lady panchayat member in Sopore, injuring her critically. "Militants shot at Zoona, wife of Muhammad Ramzan, resident of Harda Shiva village near Sopore town this (Saturday) evening. The injured woman has been shifted to hospital for treatment in a critical condition," said a police officer. The woman is a panch of Harda Shiva village council and is affiliated with the Congress. What could be termed too little too late, officials said the chief minister cancelled a dinner with his ministers and party colleagues to head to Srinagar where he will review the security to panchayat
members in a meeting with officials.
After their election in 2011, thousands of panches and sarpanches have been demanding security cover in the wake of killings of three of them in Baramulla district. While the state government maintains it is committed to protect the elected village representatives, it says providing individual security to all of them was not possible. Various political parties including National Conference, Peoples Democratic Party and state Congress had condemned the killing while terming it a heinous and cowardly act.
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