Koteranka, June 29: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Budhal Assembly Segment, today staged a strong protest demonstration at Koteranka against the Rural Development Department (RDD) and the local MLA of Budhal over the alleged arbitrary alteration of the PRI CAPEX Plan for the year 2026-27 and serious irregularities in the implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) in the area.
The protest was led by senior BJP leader and State General Secretary, BJP ST Morcha, Manzoor Ahmed Naik, along with party workers, Panchayat representatives and members of the public from different Panchayats of Budhal Assembly Segment. Following the protest, a memorandum was submitted to the Tehsildar, Koteranka, seeking immediate administrative intervention.
Addressing the gathering, Manzoor Ahmed Naik said that the Annual CAPEX Plan for 2026-27 had been duly prepared and approved in the Deh-Majlis and Gram Sabha meetings of all sixty-one Panchayats of Budhal Assembly Segment after extensive public consultations. However, the plans were subsequently altered and replaced almost entirely, disregarding the priorities and resolutions adopted by the Gram Sabhas.
He termed the move a “murder of grassroots democracy” and said that the voices of the common people had been suppressed. He alleged that the arbitrary changes had shaken public confidence in democratic institutions and violated the principles of participatory governance and decentralised planning envisaged under the Jammu and Kashmir Panchayati Raj Act and the Constitution of India.
The BJP leader further alleged large-scale irregularities in the implementation of PMAY, claiming that several economically well-off and influential persons, as well as supporters of the present dispensation, had been included as beneficiaries while numerous genuinely poor and deserving families remained deprived of the scheme’s benefits.
Naik demanded an immediate cancellation of the altered CAPEX plans and restoration of the original Gram Sabha-approved plans. He further called for the constitution of a high-level inquiry committee to investigate the circumstances under which the approved developmental plans were changed and sought strict action against all officials found responsible.
The memorandum also demanded a comprehensive inquiry into the alleged PMAY irregularities, scrutiny of beneficiary lists, removal of ineligible beneficiaries, suspension of officers and employees found involved in manipulation and favouritism, transfer of local RDD officials serving in their home blocks for prolonged periods, and a special audit of developmental works and welfare schemes implemented in Budhal Assembly Segment during previous years.
During the meeting, the Tehsildar, Koteranka, assured the delegation led by Manzoor Ahmed Naik that he would immediately apprise the District Magistrate, Rajouri, and the Additional District Magistrate, Koteranka, of the issues raised in the memorandum. He further assured the delegation that an inquiry committee would be constituted and a detailed probe initiated so that stern action could be taken against all those responsible if the allegations and irregularities are found to be correct.
The BJP leaders including Maneer Mirza, Taj Thakker, Nazir Sarpanch, Shabir Aflatoon, Khaleel Sarpanch, Sain Khan, Mohd Javed, Master Soba Ram and others asserted that the party would continue its democratic struggle to safeguard the rights of the poor, uphold transparency and accountability in governance, and ensure that the voices and aspirations of the people of Budhal Assembly Segment are respected and protected.
