Jammu India,February 25(Scoop News) –J&K Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah, today ridiculed Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for crying hoarse on human rights violations while their track record reveals highest level of civilian killings during the three years of their regime. “As compared to 94 civilian deaths during my Government, there were 2205 civilian killings during the Mufti led Government”, he said, adding that as compared to 16 cases of alleged rapes and molestations during the six years of Dr. Farooq Abdullah led Government, the number of these cases registered during the PDP Government were 75.
Replying the discussion on Motion of Thanks on Governor’s Address to the joint session of the State Legislature on Thuresday evening , the Chief Minister, in his 110 minutes speech, told the Legislative Assembly here that the author of the so-called slogans of healing touch and peace with dignity, the patron chief of PDP had, as Union Home Minister, ordered for the massacre of scores of innocent and unarmed people at Gowkadal and Islamia College in Srinagar, when the security forces, under his directions, fired upon the peaceful demonstrators and on participants of funeral procession of Moulana Mohammad Farooq.
Omar said that PDP, by its propagandist approach and political gimmickry, tries to remove from the minds of people the commissions and omissions its leaders have committed when in power at the State and the Centre, to pretend to be the angels descended from Heaven. “Public memory may be short but it is not so short that people will forget the worst ever track record of Mufti regime on human rights violations front”, he said, sighting the example of four small children who were gunned down at Handwara while playing cricket, during the period when Mufti Sayeed was the Chief Minister of the State. He said the PDP which is carrying the false bogie of arrests under PSA, during their regime put 1231 people behind bars under PSA.
The Chief Minister said that during the last 20 years of militancy it is for the first time that BSF handed over the accused killer of an innocent boy of Nishat Srinagar to Jammu and Kashmir Police for investigation and booking under law and the Union Home Minister, P. Chidambaram assured that if enquiry leads towards others they too would be booked under law. He said this is our commitment towards innocent killings and human rights violations.
Amid applause, the Chief Minister said that it is also for the first time that International Human Right Watch has praised the State Government for its commitment for human rights violations and prompt action against the violators.
Referring to the action against stone-pelters, the Chief Minister said that handful of misguided youth will not be allowed to take one crore population of the state hostage. “The stones they pelt make me painful and hurt me for the reason that these are not actually thrown on the Government but on the bread and butter of poor traders, labourers, shop-keepers, sumowalas and other small time earners”, he said adding that “I am ready to release the stone pelters provided that the elders of the area, mosque and mohalla committees and their parents give assurance that they will not again indulged in such activities.
Omar appealed the media not to exaggerate the stone pelting incidents which actually involve only five police stations in
Detailing the financial mismanagement committed by the Mufti led-Government during which Finance and Planning Departments were with PDP, the Chief Minister said that PDP created Rs 2004 crores liabilities for my Government. “I am not in a position to find out Rs 691 crores PDP got from the Centre Government under PP, Rs.379 crores they received under Natural Calamity Relief Fund, Rs.440 crores received in power sector, Rs.400 crores as unspent balance etc”, he said adding that the big holes PDP Government created in the economic sector is now liability for me to fill in. “I am bound to clear the liabilities for the cause of general people at the cost of halting expansion programme in various public service sectors. I too want to give more schools, colleges, hospitals etc to my Legislators but I am held up for the reason I have to create necessary men and machinery for the infrastructure created. This has made me to focus on consolidation rather than expansion”, he said adding that within next couple of years a meaningful expansion programme will be started across the State in all the sectors.
Explaining the necessity of a policy for return of youth from across the border who had crossed during the militancy but didn’t indulge in militancy and violence, Omar said that a rehabilitation policy has been initiated which should not be mistaken with the surrender policy. “There is already a surrender policy existing in
Omar, taking a dig on BJP, said that instead of making hue and cry for J&K rehabilitation policy, BJP should start its agitation from Punjab as their ally Chief Minister of
Highlighting various aspects of Sher-i-Kashmir Employment and Welfare Programme for Youth, Omar said that for the first time a comprehensive policy has been formulated to address the employment concerns holistically. “It is unfortunate that PDP has started saying that the policy has failed which will in fact commence from the 1st of April this year. How can a policy by judged to have failed when it has not been launched actually”, he said.
The Chief Minister said that while his Government has provided 20000 jobs to the youth in Government sector last year and another 20000 jobs are in the pipeline, more one lakh jobs are being created in Government service. “However, the answer to unemployment does not lie in Government jobs”, he said adding that attention is being paid to enhance the employability of youth to enable them get easily jobs in private job market.
Referring to the return of Kashmiri Pandits to the Valley, Omar said that the Valley is incomplete without Kashmiri Pandits and his Government is making sincere efforts for their dignified return to the valley. “Besides creating 3000 jobs for Kashmiri Pandit youth transit residential complexes have been constructed in the Valley”, he said maintaining that 15000 KP youth have already applied for these jobs. Omar said that a Committee headed by Minister for Revenue, Raman Bhalla has been constituted to look into the issue of West Pakistan Refugees and the Government is awaiting its recommendations. “We have also released Rs.49 crore package for the welfare of PoK Refugees”, he added.
While enumerating the achievements registered in various sectors during the last one year, the Chief Minister refereed to the sanctioning of two Central Universities, construction of 10 college complexes, 18 Polytechnics, 104 Skills Development Centres, sanctioning of one Unani and one Ayurvedic Colleges, approving of Kishtwar tunnel in private-public partnership, opening up of Mughal road, construction of 3000 kilometers of new roads, adding 1.54 crore gallons of drinking water to the systems in Srinagar and Jammu, starting work on Rs. 25 crore artificial lake in Jammu, construction of Veer on River Jehleum at Chattabal, approval for taking in hand construction of Shahpur Kandi Barrage etc. He said that the tourist flow in the valley during last year was 5.75 lakh excluding Amarnath Yatries. “We received 30000 tourists in Valley by February 25 as compared to 21000 last year.
On measures to curb corruption and making administration transparent, the Chief Minister said that the Right to Information Act is the efficient tool to address this menace. “The Act gives right to the people to make any questions to any department on any subject and thus helps in ensuring transparency in the transaction, expenditures, etc”, he said adding that another tool to eradicate the chances of corruption is the proper monitoring. “Besides the monitoring at three levels by the State officers, the Government has in consultation with the Central Government engaged International Monitoring Agency Mackenzy and Co. and National Monitoring Agency Nabcom to monitor Rs.500 crores Power Transmission Project and Rs.150 crores others project respectively”, he said.
Omar said the third important ingredient to control the corruption is to transfer the power to panchayats and local bodies. “My Government has flagged 2010 as the election year for local bodies and panchayats to empower the people at grass roots for taking decisions on development front and expending funds accordingly”, he added.
On power generation, the Chief Minister said that his Government has taken measures to add 4000 MW of electricity to the system during next five years. “However there is immediate need of reforming our power transmission and distribution system to reduce the losses which have crossed Rs.2500 crores per annum at present”, he said adding that no Government can bear such huge loses. “We have engaged The Energy Research Institute (TERI) for improvement and reforms in the power transmission and distribution system”.
Welcoming the Indo-Pak Foreign Secretaries talks, the Chief Minister said that from this august House “I want to reiterate that we want to get rid of the gun culture. We wish to facilitate the dialogue between New Delhi and Islamabad and Centre and the State”, he said expressing the hope that his earnest appeal for restoring peace goes to right quarters and is not ignored.
On employees demands, the Chief Minister said that the Government has already fulfilled its commitment of enhancing the pay scales as recommended by the 6th Pay Commission besides other demands. “We are committed to release the arrears soon the financial position eases” he said, asserting that the Government has not rejected the demand for raising the retirement age of 58 to 60 years but it is under active consideration. “Since there are greater implications involved in this decision for the growing unemployment crises in the state, as such, the Government is working out a comprehensive and befitting strategy in this regard”, he said.
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