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| Councilors in Kathua get shops, development works allotted to their kith and kin, reveals RTI | | |  Harpreet Singh Sethi
Early Times Report
Jammu, Sept 27: On the one hand, the government is making tall claims about providing good governance, but on the other, Municipal Act is being violated openly by Kathua City Council.Despite authorities being aware about the violations, they are acting as mute spectators.
According to the reply given to a RTI, a copy of which is in possession of Early Times, Ward 7 Councilor Anirudh Sharma and his father have taken a shop at Inter State Bus Terminal and Nagari Bus Stand and Ward 8 Councilor Kulwant Kaur’s son too has taken a shop at Bus Terminal. Not only this, there are many councilors who are getting the streets, drains constructed by getting the work allotted in their name and in the name of their family members.
Despite relentless efforts put in by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha to make officials accountable, the officials in Kathua seem to be hell bent upon maligning the image of the administration.
It’s in place to mention here that under section 16(1) I of the Jammu and Kashmir Municipal Act 2000, it has been clearly prohibited that no member can get any work done or any kind of employment, directly or indirectly.
But the reply to the RTI has revealed that many councilors and their relatives have not only taken up the shops of the city council by bidding, but many have also got government development works done.
The councilors and their relatives have been allotted the shops by the Kathua City Council. The question is if the rules are being flouted then why is the city council silent. The Kathua City Council is headed by BJP. The LG administration should get the matter investigated as the RTI reply has opened a Pandora’s Box.
It is worth mentioning that Zakir Hussain, a councilor of Basohli, had to lose his membership as he had taken development works in his own name.
After a complaint was submitted to the Director of Local Bodies his membership was terminated citing the above act. |
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