Mayor asks police not to intervene in Corporation affairs

Srinagar: Srinagar Municipal Corporation Mayor Saturday castigated Jammu Kashmir Police for interfering into civilian matters.
Addressing a press conference here in Kashmir capital Srinagar, SMC Mayor Junaid Matuu expressed his displeasure over the functioning of police in certain matters. He said it was the responsibility of the police to inform him before lodging contractors into police stations.
“Contractors staged a protest in the premises of Srinagar Municipal Corporation demanding release of pending bills for the works they have done in the Corporation. Being a constitutional head of the Corporation, I could have resolved the matter but unfortunately, police intervened in dragged the protesting contractors into police station as if they were criminals. It was the duty of the police to inform me but they cross the line,” Mattu said.
He said it is a police state and police are habitual to intervene into civilian affairs.
While talking about the encroachment of roads, Mattu said it is the police that has to enforce the orders issued by his office. “I wanted to restrict the Sunday Market from Polo View to Linz Restarurant but I know if the order I will issue has to be implemented by the police. It is not good to close an arterial road for Sunday Market but there are vendors who say they grease the palms of police though I don’t know is it true or not. Now the Sunday Market has spread it’s wings up to JK Bank Headquarters,” he said.
Mattu also threatened to withdraw his security cover in coming days if the Corporaters are not given the security. “We were promised that security cover will be given to Corporaters but till date nothing has been done to ensure safety of these elected Corporaters,” he said adding that if DGP fails to provide security cover to these Corporaters, he will abdicate his security.
Mattu lamented that officers are not doing their work up to the mark. “Instead of implementing any order, officers resort to dilly dally tactics as a result people suffer. Our Commissioner (SMC) leaves for Jammu whenever, I issue an order for the implementation. This kind of attitude won’t give respite to the people.”
He said that scores of buildings have come up illegally in Srinagar city. “I will raise every illegal building to ground and I mean it,” he said and questioned the role of those politicians and Irrigation and Flood Control Department who have given permission for the construction of a building along the banks of River Jehlum at Raj Bagh Srinagar.