PDP are the responsible for political retrogress: Farooq

        Srinagar, May 13 (Scoop News) –  The Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy, Dr. Farooq Abdullah said that the party (PDP) whose leadership has traded the autonomy of Jammu and Kashmir for chair is now crying hoarse and blowing the trumpet of self rule. “They are the responsible for political retrogress”, he said adding that for power sake they can stoop to any level down and circulate falsehood and untrue stories of any nature.

               Dr Farooq was addressing the Grand Gram Sabha convention in Srinagar on Thuresday.

 On Central assistance to the state for harnessing solar, water, wind and thermal energy, Dr. Farooq Abdullah said that he and his team is here presently to discuss expansion of new and renewable energy schemes in the state. He said his Ministry has sanctioned Rs. 500 crores for Leh and Kargil districts for the next three years to harness solar and wind energy sources for generation of electricity. He said hundreds of crores are also being earmarked for other districts of Jammu and Kashmir in this regard.

                Dr. Farooq asked the people to cooperate with the government in judicious utilization of funds on development schemes. He told them to remain vigilant and monitor the schemes at all levels. He said his Ministry is trying to reach out every remote and far flung area and provide non-conventional energy facilities to the people. “We have already brought various villages under the ambit of N&RE schemes and many more are being covered in coming years”, he said.

                The Union Minister asked the people to take best advantage of NREGA and other centrally sponsored schemes aimed at holistic development of villages and cities and economic prosperity of the people. “The Union Government led by Dr. Manmohan Singh is keen to help Jammu and Kashmir in all fields of development”, he said and asked the concerned state agencies to make best use of schemes provided by the centre.

Speaking on the occasion Chief Minister,  Omar Abdullah castigated PDP for shifting its omissions and commissions on Indus Water Treaty on National Conference. He said the party is carrying false bogey and shedding crocodile tears to mislead public on the sensitive issue.  

                “Records of State Legislative Assembly are testimony to the fact that when PDP President tried to blame National Conference on this count, his father Mufti Mohammad Syeed asked her to sit down saying that late Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah was in prison when the treaty was signed”, he said and added that had Sheikh Sahib and National Conference at the helm than they would have definitely taken care of the interests of people of Jammu and Kashmir.

                Ridiculing falsehood of PDP,  Omar said that the decision for talks between India and Pakistan are taken at Islamabad and New Delhi by the leadership of two countries and smelling such events, PDP start beating their drums in Kashmir that this party has asked the two countries to enter into dialogue. “People are not so naive to understand the foreign affairs issues and the position of local leadership on such matters”, he said.

The Chief Minister said that when Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah was asked to take gun for giving momentum to his struggle, he refused by saying that when he is not ready to give the gun to his own son Dr. Farooq Abdullah how can he ask the sons of poor people to take the guns and fill up the graveyards.

                 Omar said that certain leaders want to give gun in the hands of youth and perish their lives and future of the state as they survive on this kind of politics. “Their survival is on blood shed, violence and miseries of people, but we want to safeguard the lives of people especially the youth, give pen and jobs in their hands instead of gun, seek the development and prosperity of the society and address the political issues of Jammu and Kashmir politically across the table through the dialogue process”, the Chief Minister elaborated.

                    The Minister for Rural Development,  Ali Mohammad Sagar in his address said that the Gram Sabha convention has been organized to make aware the public representatives from villages about the rural development schemes and involve them in the development process.

                 Sager said that representatives from over 3500 villages are participating in one day Grand Gram Sabha conference. He said such conferences would be held at all district headquarters.

                “Since I took over the charge of this ministry I have traveled all the 22 districts and interacted with the people and their representatives discussing measures for making Rural Development Department more effective and delivering”, he said adding that measures have already been initiated in this direction and democratization of grass root institutions is being encouraged.

                 Sagar said that the objective and aim of the government led by Omar Abdullah is to catapult the development in all areas laying focus on the progress and prosperity of villages. He said unless over 75 percent population living in villages is not focused for all round development, the goal of prosperity will not be achieved.

                Rural Development Minister said that in order to successfully carry forward NREGA the daily wage rates have been increased from Rs. 70 to Rs. 110 per day. The payment of wages to the workers and issuance of job cards besides allotment work has been systematized which is being monitored at various levels.

                 Sagar cautioned the people about the propagandist elements and asked them to identify their friends and foes. “History bears testimony that National Conference and its leadership have always uphold the cause of people and gave sacrifices for the honour and dignity of the state”, he said.

www.scoopnews.in