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| Empowering the de-empowered: Jammu needs more districts | | | Rustam
JAMMU, Sept 8: Jammu province is bigger as compared with Kashmir region in terms of land area. It's almost two-time that of Kashmir, but the number of districts in Jammu province and Kashmir region is the same. Bulk of the land area of Jammu province is hilly and mountainous. Many areas are very difficult and treacherous. Accessibility is very poor and in some cases it is even non-existent. According to the Wazir Commission report of 1983, Jammu deserved 10 districts and Kashmir 7. But the Ghulam Nabi Azad-led coalition government in the state bypassed this recommendation and increased the number of districts in Kashmir with one stroke of pen from the existing 6 to 10 in 2007, one each for 1585.3 sq km on an average, with a couple of districts just one-tehsil district (for example, Shopian).
The State Government created 4 more districts in Kashmir despite the fact that there was no such demand anywhere in the Valley. It also increased the number of districts in Jammu from 6 to 10, but one each for 2629.3 sq km. The people of Jammu, who fought for more districts between 1975 and 2007 and laid down half a dozen lives for this cause, wanted the State Government to implement the Wazir Commission recommendations in letter and spirit. But the State Government implemented the report in a wrong way, saying it believed in the "principle of justice and equity" overlooking the fact that Jammu had more land area, major portion of which was inaccessible.
The people of Jammu region had hoped that the Congress-led dispensation would treat all the three regions of the state equally. The hope had stemmed from the fact that the Congress had contested the 2002 Assembly elections in the state on four Jammu specific planks -- implementation of the Wazir Commission report and creation of three additional districts in Jammu and one in Kashmir, establishment of regional development board, due share to Jammu in the Assembly and end of discrimination. But this did not happen. What happened was to the contrary. Take, for example, the July 6, 2006 Cabinet decision on the creation of new districts. The July 6 decision proposed to create an equal number of districts in Kashmir and Jammu -- 4 districts each - despite the fact that there was no demand whatever in Kashmir for additional districts - a fact acknowledged by the Chief Minister on the same day while interacting with the media persons. The State Government implemented the decision despite bitter opposition in Jammu.
The Srinagar district in Kashmir, which had a land area of 2,228 sq km and which consisted of 168 villages, was divided into two districts -- Srinagar and Ganderbal. Contrast to this, Jammu district, which had an area of 3,079 sq km and consisted of 1,054 villages, was left high and dry, nothing withstanding the creation of Samba district out it. It is important to note that Jammu district was far more superior to Srinagar district in terms of population and land area, including the balanced area. For instance, the population of Jammu district, according to the 2001 census, was 15,71,911, as against the Srinagar district's 11,83,493. As for the balanced area (where developmental activities could be undertaken), it was 1, 882 sq km in Jammu and 1,537 sq km in Srinagar.
Similarly, the erstwhile Pulwama district in Kashmir, which had an area of 1,398 sq km and balanced area of 315 sq km and which consisted of 536 villages, was divided into two districts -- Pulwama and Shopian. On the other hand, Kathua district in Jammu province, which had a land area of 2,651 sq km and balanced area more than five times that of Pulwama and which consisted of 555 villages, was left untouched. The balanced area of Pulwama and Kathua districts was 315 sq km and 1,616 sq km, respectively. Hiranagar tehsil in Kathua district was bigger in size as compared to the erstwhile Pulwama district.
Will the Jammu-based parties take up the issue of this regional imbalance and demand justice for the ignored and neglected region? They should. They must make this issue a big election plank for the upcoming Assembly elections. Jammu deserves a minimum of four new districts - Jammu Rural, R S Pura Basholi- Billawar, Sunderbani-Nowshera and Akhnoor. |
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