KNB News Desk
Srinagar 27 May (KNB): Mayor of Srinagar city, Junaid Azim Mattu, Deputy Mayor Parvaiz Ahmad Qadri along with 61 corporators of Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) on Thursday staged an indefinite hunger strike against the allegedly corrupt and inefficient Joint Commissioner Planning, Ghulam Hassan Mir and sought his immediate removal.
Amid the slogans raised by the protestors against the JCP within the SMC compound in Srinagar, Junaid Azim Mattu told news agency Kashmir News Bureau that the rise of illegal construction in the city is because of the inefficiency of JCP Mir.
“Joint Commissioner Planning has been imposed over the City and the revenue from building permissions has dropped drastically. The building permission files were either accepted or rejected within a months time but now the files are piling up at JCP’s house for more than 8 months,” Mattu said.
He said, “If raids are conducted at Mir’s House, around 100-200 building permission files will be recovered from his bedroom only.”
Mayor of Srinagar further accused the JCP Ghulam Hassan Mir of harassment against women and misbehavior against corporators and employees.
“Females are scared to visit the corporation because of him,” he said.
Mattu said that a female applicant was told that she needs not to come to the office, “You have a daughter, tell her to have a cup of tea with me and will see if the application will be accepted,” Mir had said to the female applicant, as per Mayor Mattu.
Junaid Mattu told KNB that Mir (JCP) has given a statement in the media, calling out coporators and other employees of SMC thieves, having vested interests. “How much shall we bear now? How much disrespect shall we take? When will the administration wake up?” Mattu asked.
Joint Commissioner Planning needs to be removed, he said, adding, “He oppresses the indigent population of the City. The pauper women who cry here (because of the JCP Mir) might just set themselves on fire as well.”
“As long as he (JCP Mir) is not removed from the position, we will not move an inch from here either,” Junaid Mattu emphasized.
Junaid Mattu also said Joint Commissioner Planning has been repeatedly saying that he has setting in Secretariat and will not be removed from the position.
“Why is there this setting? Why does he (Mir) repeatedly say that Principal Secretary will never remove him from the post?” Mayor asked.
“It is utterly shameful and we request the Government to remove him from the post immediately,” he added.
Moreover, while talking to news agency Kashmir News Bureau, corporator SMC, Danish Bhat said, “Earlier 61 corporates wrote a joint letter to Mayor seeking withdrawal of Joint Commissioner (Planning) Ghulam Hassan Mir from services as per law. Yet, he has not been removed from the service and continues his corruption and misconduct with corporators as well as other employees of SMC.”
“We will continue the protest and will stay here on hunger strike until he is terminated from the post and a new JCP is appointed,” he said, adding that the democracy is under serious threat when people like him keep exploiting public and maligning image of political personalities.
Pertinent to mention that in a letter to Commissioner Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) on Saturday, Mayor Srinagar City, Junaid Azim Mattu along with 61 Corporators sought removal of Joint Commissioner Planning Ghulam Hassan Mir and his repatriation to Housing and Urban Development Department (HUDD). (KNB)