The Biz Reporter
SRINAGAR, Dec 30: In a sharp rebuke to the administrative practices in Kashmir, Sajad Lone, leader of the Jammu and Kashmir People’s Conference and MLA Handwara, has openly challenged Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to address the sluggish pace at which revenue authorities issue crucial certificates like RBA and EWS.
In a series of X posts, Lone drew attention to a significant disparity in administrative efficiency, noting that “Jammu will be far ahead” in the issuance of such documents. He questioned the reluctance of Kashmiri revenue officials to expedite these services for deserving candidates, asking, “Why do they make them beg? Is it a mindset?”
Lone’s critique extended beyond mere administrative inefficiency, probing into the societal and psychological barriers that might be at play. He accused the revenue officials of a paradoxical behavior, oscillating between victimhood outside the office and creating victims within it. “The same revenue officials who subscribe to victimhood in non-office hours are the ones who manufacture victims in office hours,” Lone stated, suggesting a deep-seated issue within the bureaucracy inherited from previous administrations.
The political figure emphasized the need for reform, urging Abdullah to confront what he termed as “psychological issues afflicting some of our revenue officers.” He painted a picture of tehsils not as public service centers but as “fiefdoms,” where officials behave more like feudal lords than government servants tasked with public welfare.
This public call to action by Lone not only highlights the administrative bottlenecks in certificate issuance but also raises broader questions about governance, accountability, and the urgent need for systemic change within Kashmir’s revenue department. The disparity in service delivery between Jammu and Kashmir, as highlighted by Lone, has become a focal point for public discourse on social media, reflecting widespread frustration among residents seeking these essential documents.
