J&K protocol list: DDC chief status same as Mayor

A month after the Chairpersons of the DDCs protested against the Warrant of Precedence that placed them at the same level as administrative secretaries but below the Mayors of Srinagar and Jammu, the government issued a fresh Warrant of Precedence to meet their demand.

The group said though most political parties had agreed to participate in the delimitation process, they questioned the need for it and suspected the fairness of the process.

IN AN attempt to placate members of the newly elected District Development Councils (DDCs), the J&K administration has once again amended the Warrant of Precedence, placing DDC Chairpersons on a par with Mayors of Srinagar and Jammu cities and ahead of MPs and the Chief Secretary.

A month after the Chairpersons of the DDCs protested against the Warrant of Precedence that placed them at the same level as administrative secretaries but below the Mayors of Srinagar and Jammu, the government issued a fresh Warrant of Precedence to meet their demand. “In supersession of all previous orders issued on the subject, it is hereby ordered that the ‘Warrant of Precedence’ forming Annexure A to this Government Order shall be observed for all ceremonial functions/occasions of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir,” reads the order issued by the Hospitality and Protocol department.

While the DDC Deputy Chairpersons have been put on a par with Inspectors General of Police and Divisional Commissioners, the Chairpersons of the Block Development Council and the Presidents of Municipal Councils and Committees have been put on par with the Deputy Commissioners.

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“We are satisfied with the protocol given to the Chairpersons and Deputy Chairpersons of the DDCs but the protocol given to the DDC members should have been better,” Nazir Ahmad Khan, Chairperson of Budgam DDC, told The Indian Express. “Our first priority is the security and the accommodation of the members but the government is silent on that.”

Ironically, the government has put the DDC Chairpersons two steps ahead of the MPs in the amended Warrant of Precedence. The DDC Chairpersons had demanded a change in the structure of the District Planning Committee (DPC), which is headed by the MPs, with the former as member. The DDC Chairpersons want to head the DPC as well.

Bashaarat Masood

Bashaarat Masood is a Special Correspondent with The Indian Express. He has been covering Jammu and Kashmir, especially the conflict-ridden Kashmir valley, for two decades. Bashaarat joined The Indian Express after completing his Masters in Mass Communication and Journalism from the University in Kashmir. He has been writing on politics, conflict and development. Bashaarat was awarded with the Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Awards in 2012 for his stories on the Pathribal fake encounter. ... Read More

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