Srinagar, October 06(Scoop News)- Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti has said while political disempowerment of the people, repression and corruption mark the functioning of the present government, the need for a change assumes urgency even an account of sheer inefficiency of the NC led coalition.
Addressing a large gathering of political workers from Kupwara who joined the party here today she said, “This government has failed even in conducting routine official business”. The function was was held to welcome a senior political activist and lawyer Khurshid Iqbal Shah from Drugmulla and Ab Ahad Shumnagi from Kupwara who joined the party along with hundreds of his supporters . The two leaders had been associated with Peoples Confrence for a long time. Among those who welcomed the new entrants were party general secretary Mohammad Dilawar Mir, senior leader Tariq Hameed Karra, MLA Nizamudin Bhat, Chief Spokesman & MLC Naeem Akhtar, district president & MLA Ab Haq Khan, senior leader Gh Mohiudin Sofi, vice district president Fayaz Ahmad Mir, Mohd Shafi, Gh Nabi Pandithpuri, Mohd Afzal Wani, Mehrajudin Shah and many others.
Citing governments own data Mehbooba told the gathering that the present coalition had been unable not just to secure the rights, life and dignity of the people but it had miserably floped even in utilizing the available funds for Bijli, Sadak, Paani and other pressing issues facing the people. She said government had it self revealed in the legislature that over Rs 200 crores were lapsed during the financial year 2012-13 alone. She said these funds could have provided roads, power, water and other amenities to a large number of people but the government failed to implement any scheme and on the other hand always complains of, “lack of funds” whenever a proposal is made to it for a development project.
Mehbooba said the present government was not able to start a single new project or launch a new scheme during the last five years and was taking people forgranted and trying to mislead them by raising hollow slogans for autonomy, AFSPA, return of power projects. She said time has come for the NC and its coalition government to provide an account to the people of its performance over the last several decades and especially during its present term in office. She said “ I am confident that if people, who are the ultimate decision makers take a fair view of the performance of this government they will not give it a single seat in the next elections, she said.
Referring to the repeated claims made by the Omar Abdullah about the introduction of a rehabilitation scheme for the people who had crossed LoC for arms training , Mehbooba said government’s own figures establish that the scheme has been a big flop as not a single person had so far returned under this policy nor has been able to benefit anybody. She said for the last three years Omar Abdullah has been projecting the so called rehabilitation scheme as a great achievement of his government but now by his own account it is established that they have played a fraud on those people who had been waiting to come home to resume a normal life. It is no wonder many of those who have come back via Nepal route after spending lot of money and facing difficulties are waiting to go back.
Mehbooba said 1171 applications received on behalf of the prospective returnees under the policy, 12 cases, after clearance by a High Level Committee have been recommended to the Government of India for “further necessary action and another 386 cases were under examination in the State Home Department while as applications of 24 returnees were not considered since they had returned from the Nepal route. she said these figures make it clear that the NC government had been misleading people as it has historically done on all other issues.
Mehbooba said people especially the youth joining PDP in large numbers is a positive sign and generates hope about a bright future for the state. She said PDP on its track record of a brief stint in government and its role in opposition has made a mark across the state and people look upto it as a party that will bring them out of the uncertainity of the past and misgovernance and corruption of the present.
Mehbooba regretted that the present coalition had been unable to tap even these available resources not to speak of initiating any new projects. She said in spite of being in power for more than three decades National Conference only exploited the sentiment of people. Kupwara which had persistently helped the party was only exploited in return she pointed out, “and completely handed over to task force between 1996 and 2002”.
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