PDP MLA’s proposed bill to create new divisions and constituencies in J&K comes under fire from NC and BJP

SRINAGAR: People’s Democratic Party MP Waheed Parra’s private member’s bill proposing the creation of 16 new districts in J&K and two new districts in Jammu has come under heavy criticism from the ruling NC and opposition Bharatiya Janata Party, who have questioned the intention behind the proposed legislation.NC said the bill was a “deliberate attempt to stir up public opinion and undermine the government’s intention to empower the sub-region”. The BJP called the proposal divisive and claimed it was in line with Pakistan and the ISI’s plans to create a “Greater Kashmir”.Parra submitted the Jammu and Kashmir Territorial Administrative Reorganization Bill to the Parliament Secretariat, proposing the creation of new administrative divisions and districts in the Union Territory to “improve governance and administrative scope”.The bill seeks to set up two new departments in Jammu – Chenab and Pir Panjal. It also proposes eight more districts each in Kashmir and Jammu. Currently, Johnson & Johnson has two divisions in Jammu and Kashmir, each with 10 districts under its jurisdiction.The bill attracted attention on social media, sparking a debate that forced political parties to respond. NC spokesperson Imran Nabi Dar said that while the government was trying to empower the sub-region, the People’s Democratic Party’s move to bring forward these proposals reflected different intentions. He claimed that this showed an attempt at sabotage and questioned why the party led by Mehbooba Mufti was discussing new regions and divisions despite lacking the legislative strength to pass the proposals.During the PDP-BJP tenure in 2016-17, a series of similar recommendations made by the expert committee were rejected by the government. “Now, when the NC government is planning to empower the sub-region, the People’s Democratic Party is bringing such bills to create distrust among people,” he said, terming it a “destructive bill”.The BJP claimed that the proposals made in the bill were in line with the agenda of the ISI. “The bill proposes to add two divisions to Jammu – one consisting of Kishtwar and Doda and the other by Rajouri and Poonch. They call these areas Chenab Valley and Pir Panjal areas. We do not accept these terms. This was part of the ISI’s design in the 1990s to merge these Muslim-majority areas with Kashmir and carve out a ‘Greater Kashmir’. The PDP is working on the same agenda. We will not allow this,” said BJP spokesperson Altaf Thakur.Pointing out that Kashmir has three regions, traditionally known as Maraz (south Kashmir), Kamraz (north Kashmir) and central Kashmir, he asked: “Why don’t they create three divisions here too? Why do they only want to breach Jammu?”Thakur, however, said there may be a need to set up three new police districts in Kashmir and if necessary, the existing three police districts in the Valley can be upgraded into full-fledged police districts.