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| Srinagar councilors enjoy free accommodation, Jammu councilors fend for themselves | | | Early Times Report
Jammu, May 1: Even as the urban local body representatives were elected in winter last year, those from Srinagar Municipal Corporation enjoy free hotel accommodation and food whereas those elected in Jammu Municipal Corporation enjoy no such "luxuries."
Barring a "meager" salary, the corporators of the JMC don't enjoy any additional facility whereas their counterparts in Srinagar are living a "princely life."
Official sources said most of the councilors from the SMC have been provided free accommodation at hotels in posh areas like Raj Bagh and that they were also getting free food.
Sources said the state government is bearing "all the expenses" of the corporators in the summer capital and that they were enjoying a luxurious life.
"The room is provided by the hotel and food is cooked by the chefs who mostly cook non mutton for the guests from the SMC. What more do you need," said a source in the government.
Officials said under norms the corporators are entitled to any such "luxuries" but that those from Srinagar were given this additional benefit by the government at the cost of the state exchequer."
"Public money is being spend to keep the corporators from Srinagar happy whereas those from in Jammu have no such facilities and this is a discrimination," said a senior official on the condition of the anonymity.
He said all corporators who wanted to enjoy hotel accommodation and food are availing the facility irrespective of their party affiliations.
"Even the proxies of the NC and PDP who had secretly contested the polls are getting the facility," said a source in the government.
When contacted a senior official in the Housing and Urban Development Department tried to downplay the issue.
"Some of the elected representatives are enjoying hotel accommodation because of security reasons and there is no need to call it discrimination with Jammu," the official told Early Times.
Despite repeated attempts the concerned couldn't be contacted for comments. |
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