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| Azad harmed Jammu more as compared to other CMs | | | EARLY TIMES REPORT
JAMMU, May 16: Ghulam Nabi Azad says that he belongs to Jammu and he did much for it. It is an exaggerated statement. The fact is that he has hit the people of Jammu province below the belt. Just one example will be enough to expose his bias against Jammu and it relates to the implementation of the so-called Wazir Commission recommendations.
As per the Wazir Commission report of 1983, Jammu deserved a minimum of 10 districts and Kashmir only 7 (Report of the Commission for Rationalization of Administrative Units, December 1983, PP. 12, 61, 214, 362). But Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad 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). He created 4 more districts in Kashmir despite the fact that there was no such demand anywhere in the Valley.
Azad 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 Azad 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 is treacherous, difficult, mountainous and inaccessible.
The people of Jammu region had hoped that Azad 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 (Election Manifesto, 2002). 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 Azad on the same day while interacting with reporters. He 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 of 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.
Besides, Srinagar city, which was way behind Jammu city in terms of population and area, was divided into two tehsils - Srinagar North and Srinagar South - with river Jhelum as the dividing line. On the other hand, Jammu city, through which River Tawi passes, was left untouched. It would be appropriate to point out here that while Jammu Municipal Corporation consisted of 71 wards, the Srinagar Municipal Corporation consisted of 65 wards.
What does all this show? It shows that Ghulam Nabi Azad harmed Jammu province more as compared to other Chief Ministers of the state. The people of Jammu province know this. That's the reason Azad has become highly unpopular in Jammu province.
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