Srinagar, January 24 (Scoop News) –Expressing its dismay over what she called developmental inertia, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Ms Mehbooba Mufti today held ruling party responsible for “exploitation and neglect” of Srinagar city.
While addressing the meetings of Zone AmiraKadal and HabbaKadal at PDP headquarter here, Ms Mehbooba said the development in the state in general and Srinagar in particular has come to a stand still under the present government. She said all the major initiatives taken by the PDP led government in 2002 like Prime Ministers reconstruction plan and Asian Development Bank (ADB) funded schemes had been running late and some of them have been abandoned all together.
Mehbooba said Srinagar city had suffered the most under the present government as funds have been diverted which were meant for the holistic development of the city. Similarly the beautification of Jehlum has been stopped and improvement of Eidgah including the widening of roads of the city abandoned.
“It seems the NC Government is punishing the Srinagar city along with the rest of the state with targeted vengeance for having given it the electoral edge with eight assembly seats and a Lok Sabha representative,” she added.
“Though Srinagar has potential to become the heritage tourism capital of South Asia, given its rich and diverse cultural past, NC’s exploitation and neglect of the capital city has led it to be declared as one of the most threatened heritage sites. Even while being one of the most prominent historical cities of the world, Srinagar ranks perhaps the lowest in development index,” Ms Mehbooba stressed.
Ms Mehbooba said it was a “shame” that in spite of claiming to represent the city politically for decades, NC has “failed” even in providing basic amenities to its population. “Despite tall claims made by this government, no adequate supply of ration like rice, sugar and LPG gas is nowhere. Electrification of the city by providing street lights has also become an issue of favoritism. Inspite of the bad situation of the electricity, tariff has been increased manifold even in cases of below poverty line people.
Coordination secretary Ab Hameed Kosheen, Mohd Aslam Laiguroo, zone presidents Muneeb Ahmed and Mohd Rafiq Wani and others also spoke on this occasion.