Central package ‘disappoints’ Kashmir; Omar debunks Rajnath’s terror-decline claim

MADAN MANTOO
JAMMU: With ruling PDP showing little enthusiasm over the announcement of Rs 2,437 crore additional package by the Centre for reconstruction and rehabilitation of flood ravaged Jammu and Kashmir, the main opposition National Conference on Tuesday took baton to lash out at both the BJP and Chief Minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed over, what it called, “sanctions in drips and drabs”.
National Conference-Congress Government had formulated and submitted to the Centre Rs 44,000 crore package soon after September 2014 floods while the current PDP-BJP Coalition had pitched for “adequate funds”.
Former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah described the package as “Khoda Pahar Nikla Chooha” and debunked the claim made by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh about improving situation in the State with terror related incidents declining by 25 per cent.
Several Kashmir based organsiations and political parties have strongly reacted to the package, describing it “too little and too late”.
In New Delhi, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and Home Minister Rajnath Singh announced the package and said Rs 2,602 crore had already been released last year by the government to help the state in relief and rehabilitation work.
Jaitley, along with the Union Home Minister, said at a joint press conference that a team of Niti Aayog’s Chief Executive Officer and Expenditure Secretary will be visiting Jammu and Kashmir to take stock of its future development needs.
“We will make a larger development plan. The officials will discuss with the state and give their views to the Centre on areas like power, highway, education, tourism and health services. The schemes which we have tentatively announced and some more which may be there, that will be decided later,” the Finance Minister said.
Jaitley said there has been a special focus of the central government on development of Jammu and Kashmir, Leh and Ladakh and Kargil regions. “There has been a popular government after the election in the state and the Centre will support it so that
it completes its development agenda,” he said.
Jaitley said that development is a work in progress. Last year’s floods have affected all regions. Rs 770 crore was given at that time under the Prime Minister Relief Fund and Rs 1,602 crore was released under State Disaster Relief Fund and National Disaster Relief Fund. Special project assistance of Rs 1,000 crore was also announced by the Prime Minister when he had visited the state, he said.
The Centre has also decided to give foodgrains at Below Poverty Lines (BPL) prices besides approval on construction of Jammu-Srinagar highway. A total of 75,000 ‘kacha and pakka’ houses, which were damaged, will also be rebuilt under the grant, Jaitley said.
He said there has been growth of Jammu and Kashmir and its three parts.
“Tourism in the state is mainstay and at present a good tourism season is going on. There has been a loss to tourism projects and 12 tourism places,” he said.
Home Minister Rajnath Singh told reporters that Jammu and Kashmir is witnessing “significant improvement” in security situation, with terror-related incidents declining by 25 per cent.
“Prerequisite for development of any state or country is that a peaceful and secure atmosphere should be there.
He said for development there has to be an atmosphere of peace and security that is “being built by and by in Jammu and Kashmir”.
While terming the package as “sanctions in drips and drabs”, Omar Abdullah said the statement of the Union Home Minister about significant improvement in the situation in Jammu and Kashmir was “meaningless” when the Centre refuses to even consider partial roll-back of the AFSPA, former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday said.
“This is when I remind you that all this is meaningless when you refuse to even consider partial roll-back of #AFSPA,” Omar wrote on twitter.com.
He also expressed disappointment over the package and described it as “sanctions in drips and drabs”.
“What are CM (Chief Minister) and his team for? Does this mean you have no faith in his vision or has he totally failed to outline one?” he questioned.
Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) also expressed disappointment.
“It is a total disappointment. We were expecting due consideration of the devastation caused by the floods but it has not been coming,” KCCI president Ashiq Shiekh said.
CPI(M) state secretary Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami said the package announced by the Centre was “too little, too late” and urged the BJP-led NDA government to take a humane approach to the rehabilitation of flood victims.
“We did not have any expectations from this government and had no illusions but the least this government could have done was to treat Jammu and Kashmir at par with rest of the states,” Tarigami said, adding that the amount of funds announced is nothing keeping in view the devastation caused by the floods.