Srinagar: Amid allegations of horse-trading by Kashmir political parties, the divisional administration on Monday said that it “will verify whether the anti-defection law can be enacted in Jammu and Kashmir”.
Talking to reporters on the sidelines of the oath taking ceremony of recently elected DDC members at SKICC Srinagar here, Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, P K Pole said that he will have to check it from the Rural Development Department (RDD) department first whether the law can be implemented here.
He said that the DDC members who took oath today will have the powers “to prepare the final list of the funds that will be allocated to their respective districts”.
“The final draft for the allocation of the funds will be approved by DDC members,” he said.
The divisional commissioner Kashmir hoped that people “will no longer have to visit their respective Deputy Commissioner’s (DC) office for their issues like power, roads and water and other developmental issues” adding that they can directly approach their elected representative to get their works done.
Pole said that J&K DDC members will have “adequate powers” on the lines of Maharashtra model, “but it would take time”.
“The DDC members may face hardships for some time till the proper and necessary arrangements will be made for them especially their own offices and until other logistic arrangements are put in place by the administration, ” he added.
The divisional commissioner also wished all the DDC members luck and prayed for them hoping they will be able to deliver whatever they have promised to the people in their respective constituencies.
It was told during the function that one of the female DDC members couldn’t attend the function due to her deteriorating health condition. KNO

KR Desk