Nc-pdp disempowered, sidelined grassroots democratic institutions: sajad lone

Peoples’ Conference Chairman Sajad Gani Lone on Tuesday said that the twin regional parties National Conference and Peoples Democratic Party have played a devious, negative role in

disempowering the people of the state by sidelining grassroots democratic institutions and centralizing power within two dynastic cores. Addressing a workers’ convention here in north

Kashmir the PC chairman said, “Both these parties have drowned the state in mis-governance, nepotism and corruption.” The PC chairman also reiterated the party’s commitment to issue a white

paper on the erosion of the state’s special autonomous status and said the white paper would list, with details, the complicity of the National Conference and the PDP founders in the erosion

of Article 370. “We will also come out with a white paper on massive loot, plunder and corruption in the state pioneered by the twin dynasties who have amassed thousands of crores in

unearned wealth by robbing the state of funds and through kickbacks at the cost of effective development in Jammu and Kashmir,” Sajad said.   “Both NC and PDP are parties based around two

corrupt dynastic nuclei. They are two similar parts of a political cartel which collectively strives for nepotism, theft and plunder of the state’s resources so that the two families can

amass wealth for their coming generations. It is time for the political leaders to wonder if surrendering their dignity at the service of these two corrupt dynasties is worth it. Omar

Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti were both born with silver spoons in their mouths and have left no stone unturned to further plunder the state and deprive its young of opportunities to dream of

a bright future. Their alliance is an inglorious chapter of desperation that has come to fore as a befitting tribute to the destructive role played by these two dynasties in the state – of

fueling alienation in Kashmir through stentorian rhetoric and slogans while shamelessly furthering their own economic interests by pretending to be nationalists in Delhi”,  Sajad said.  The

PC Chairman said, “NC and PDP had left no stone unturned, during their successive tenures, to disempower and sideline elected grassroots democratic institutions. Both twin dynasties of the

NC-PDP alliance have always been paranoid about decentralization of power to the grassroots institutions. Left to the two families, they would prefer to even centralize the powers of

legislators and Ministers within the four walls of their palaces on Gupkar Road. They have been petty and insecure when it comes to Panchayat and Urban Local Body representatives. Their

tantrum of allegedly ‘boycotting’ the ULB and Panchayat elections was in some measure based on this insecurity. The tantrum was primarily a blackmailing tactic where the two twin dynasties

embraced each other against the emergence of Peoples’ Conference as a viable, effective and popular alternative to their political monopoly”, Sajad Gani said.  Seeking the effective

empowerment of Panchayat and Urban Local Body elected representatives, Sajad Gani Lone said the elected grassroots representatives should be given powers to improve the delivery of

governance where the two dynasties have utterly failed. “The Governor’s Administration and the Central Government should ensure the elected representatives are given utmost respect and

dignity and provided with facilities, reasonable honorariums and powers to bring about change at the ground level. Their safety and security should be ensured and the Administration should

give them every possible opportunity to work for the benefit of the traditionally disempowered sections of our society”, Sajad added. QUOTE, UNQUOTE _Will come out with a white paper on

massive loot in the state _ _ Parties embraced each other after emergence of PC as viable option _ _ Government should ensure counselors; panchayat representatives are given powers to bring

change at the ground level_