Rajouri MLAs Accuse Deputy PM of Unfair Distribution of Development Funds

Political tensions are deepening in the Rajouri district of the Jammu and Keşmir region over allegations of unequal distribution of development funds among the region's five constituencies. The dispute between the district's four MLAs and Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary, who represents the Nowshera constituency within the same district, has resurfaced with new claims of unfair resource allocation. The MLAs reacted to the situation by clearly stating that a significant portion of the funds meant for other constituencies were diverted to the Deputy CM's own constituency, Nowshera.

Independent Thanamandi MLA Muzaffar Iqbal Khan, Rajouri MLA Iftkhar Ahmed, and Budhal MLA Javed Iqbal Choudhary had previously raised the issue of inadequate funding for their constituencies while supporting the National Conference (NC) government. These MLAs had approached Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to resolve the situation and also voiced their complaints at an NC meeting held in Dachigam. It was learned that the Chief Minister had given Deputy CM Surinder Choudhary a one-month deadline to address the issue and eliminate the imbalance.

However, despite the Chief Minister's intervention, the controversy over alleged unfairness has not been fully resolved. National Conference Budhal MLA Javed Iqbal Choudhary, in a statement to the media, once again questioned the fund distribution model, arguing that an unfair share was made among the five constituencies of Rajouri district. Choudhary emphasized that the lack of trust in his role continued, stating that the Deputy CM had failed to justify the confidence shown in him by the Chief Minister.

To support his claims, the MLA cited official figures, stating that nearly 63% of the total funds under the Special Assistance Scheme for SCs (SASCI) were allocated to a single constituency, constituting a serious injustice. Furthermore, to prove the injustice in distribution with concrete data, he noted that out of 128 lakh rupees allocated for the district under the Non-Functional Buildings (NFB) program, 103 lakh rupees were spent solely on the Nowshera region.

Javed Iqbal Choudhary argued that living in an age of transparency and being accountable to the public, such injustices could not be overlooked with silence or remain hidden. Consequently, the three concerned MLAs announced that they would request another meeting soon to re-report the situation to the Chief Minister and demand remedial measures to ensure justice.