JAMMU: The prevailing sluggish and indifferent approach of Legal Metrology Department is silently hitting the serious endeavours of LG led administration to attract travellers from across the India towards several tourist destinations in Kashmir and Jammu regions as majority of visitors are left dejected by three wheeler operators who charge discretionary fares from them by refusing to operate digital meters.
Strangely, this unbridled loot is undeniably killing much publicized spirit of अतिथि देवो भव (Athiti Devo Bhava) which needs urgent attention of Raj Bhawan to awaken LMD higher ups from deep slumber.
“For a trip from Railway station, Jammu to hotel Raddison, the auto rickshaw driver charged Rs 500 from us” told Gyan Vardhan, a tourist. Turning down our request to charge fare as per digital meter, the driver instantly said it’s not working and was installed in connivance with authorities as mere formality, added another tourist namely Santosh Thakur, who was visiting Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine for first time.
Raising similar concern, a group of tourists while coming out of Raghunath Mandir Temple told JK Global News “The journey of loot begins moment auto drivers welcome us at Jammu Railway station. As none agree to ply on meter, we hired two auto rickshaws who charged Rs 700 each for a trip from Railway station Jammu to Hotel KC Residency”.
This simply shows non existence of administrative machinery in J&K where drivers of three wheelers are operating without functional digital meters and charging as per their free will” added agitated tourist Raghunandan Tripathi. This situation is more deplorable when we landed in Srinagar, he added.
Similar concerns were also raised by local commuters of Jammu who are forced to pay from their nose. “For a journey less than 500 meter, the auto drivers are charging Rs 200. This amount goes up to Rs 400 during morning and night” said Rajinder Singh.
In 2018, on the direction of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court, the department of Legal Metrology has installed digital meters with flip flop in auto rickshaws which are running across the length and breadth of Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. For enforcing discipline and charging of fare from commuters as per meter, the concerned officers of the department also undertake aggressive checking drivers which rendered relief to the common man.
However, such commuters and citizens friendly exercise which earlier LMD department used to undertake enthusiastically on routine basis now become a history as no serious efforts were made in the last 2 years which prompted the auto drivers to extract fare from commuters at own whims and fancies.
This has led to an alarming situation in twin cities of Jammu as well as Kashmir where the auto drivers are on rampant loot on the name of auto fare, said a former Controller of LMD on condition of anonymity.
“Now everything is managed through desk reports where the concerned officers in collusion with union leaders of auto rickshaws prepared room based penalties to befool the higher ups and choose to shut their eyes on ground realities for monthly Nazrana from union leaders” he added. The free for all loot of auto drivers in Jammu which is witnessing heavy rush of tourists and pilgrims only points to one thing that the concerned officers are resting carelessly inside their cozy rooms instead of acting against violators on ground, said one Assistant Controller on condition of anonymity.
Efforts of JK Global News to seek response of Majid Khalil Drabu, Controller-Legal Metrology, J&K on the issue remain futile as he prefer not to respond to our repeated calls as well as message on watsapp.
Our View Point: Unlike in the past, the prevailing state of affairs in Department of Legal Metrology especially in Jammu region reflects miserable failure of incumbent officers to safeguard the rights of consumer. High moral of auto drivers in fleecing commuters/tourists and refusal to operate on digitals meters indict either they are embolden by sluggish approach of concerned officers or it’s a play of match fixing. Its matter of concern, the department which remains undisputed champion of Jagho Grahak Jagho campaign now prefers to shrink itself in cocoon having no visibility on ground. Unpleasant developments shows something is seriously afflicted the rank and files of LMD –which warrants immediate attention of higher ups in the administration. After all, the LMD Babus are not enjoying immunity from accountability and transparency which has been declared as prime pillars of working in Govt functionaries in J&K by none other than Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha.