Mehbooba tells Governor of administrative chaos & rampant corruption
Scoop News
October 26, 2011
The leader of the opposition told the governor how recent events involving the death of an NC worker and exposure of corruption in the Abdullah family had climaxed a three year ordeal of the people suffering excesses without achieving a redressal to their problems. “These events had seriously dented people’s faith in governance and institutional accountability as the government had brazenly covered up an incident that in any other part of the country would have evoked a completely different response from state” she told the governor pointing out how this attitude made the people of the state feel different, discriminated and lead to their alienation.
Mehbooba told Vohra Omar Abdullah’s unending fight for survival had lead him from one blunder to another and had to compromise his way to stay in power. Not only had this resulted in his government’s total disconnect with the people but the uncertainty had also caused a leadership crisis in the government. “Ministers and officials were groping in the dark for want of a political direction and with zero accountability the unscrupulous among them were making hay while the sun shone and amassed wealth by whatever way they could” Mehbooba said. She added that with the exposure of Omar and Dr Farooq Abdullah’s direct involvement in political pay offs the NC leadership had lost any moral authority to enforce accountability and this had resulted in an unprecedented administrative chaos development freeze and free for all situation in the state.
Referring to the collapse of institutions under the NC lead coalition Mehbooba recalled how the ruling alliance had indulged in subversion of the legislature by arranging cross voting of BJP MLAs for a mere Council seat. She told the governor that the ruling party had not just undermined the stature of the legislature but had constantly tried to muzzle dissent in and out of it. She said the Panchayat elections could have been a game changer in the state only if the government had honestly empowered these institutions and established all the three tiers of the system. Similarly, she pointed out the failure of the government in conducting polls to urban civic bodies even in the second year after they were due. The Vigilance system too was in a total paralysis as the proposed new commission was a non starter with the result that even the existing vigilance organisation had become defunct, Mehbooba told the governor.
On the current debate over the revocation of AFSPA Mehbooba reiterated the principal stand of her party and called for phased withdrawal of troops from civilian duties and areas and also the removal of special powers. She said the state government must withdraw the Disturbed Areas Act (DAA) to facilitate a complete revival of civil and democratic institutions in the state as in other parts of the country.
Tags: Mehbooba , J&K , Governor , Administrative Chaos , Corruption
