Special Correspondent
Jammu: Although Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti wants to fulfill dream of her father, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed by making State as ‘Naya Jammu Aur Kashmir’ but is she really following the footsteps of her father as head of the State?
The visionary late Chief Minister, irrespective of criticism from the Valley, shook hands with the saffron party with ‘Agenda of Alliance’ in place for development of all the three regions but his death created vaccum in the state politics thus leaving no option for daughter Mehbooba Mufti to go ahead with the alliance and form the government.
However, leaving aside the continuous criticism and anger that broke out in Kashmir Valley after PDP-BJP coalition formed on March 1, 2015, Mehbooba preferred to stay with its alliance partner BJP and on April 4, 2016, she was sworn in as State’s first woman Chief Minister.
Undoubtedly, Mehbooba, focussed development of all the three regions like father but on part of District Development Board meetings, she instead of chairing them herself, appointed Cabinet minister’s as chairmen of the DDBs.
On other hand, the late Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, who soon after taking over state affairs, himself chaired the development board meetings not only to equally make allocation of funds impartially but also interacting with the members of civil society, political leadership during his visits to various districts.
“Mufti Sayeed was very intellectual and visionary personality and this was the reason that he himself chaired District Development Board meetings not only to treat everyone at par but also to get social with the people,” a party leader pleading anonymity said. He said that Mufti Sayeed’s connections with the people, made him a tall leader, adding, “Mehbooba too is focussed but she has to learn a lot from her late father and implement those thoughts on ground.”
If compared, as Chief Minister, Mufti Mohamamd Sayeed in his short term, chaired most of the DDB meets of all the districts but Mehbooba so far had chaired only of Jammu and Srinagar regions whereas the rest were chaired by her cabinet ministers.
Mufti Sayeed on 20th June, 2015 chaired DDB Meetings of Kathua and Samba districts and called upon the administration to take full advantage of the revised financing scheme ‘which focuses on decentralisation and assigns greater role and responsibility to the districts’.
On 22nd June that year he chaired the DDB meetings of Anantnag and Kulgam, and assured that all those who had suffered damages to their houses in the colossal floods of 2014 will be adequately compensated.
On 24th June, he chaired the DDB meetings of Rajouri, Poonch and issued immediate directions for macadamization of all important road links in the districts.
He approved annual plans of Rs 197 crore and Rs 173 crore for the frontier districts, respectively.
On 25th June, Sayeed chaired DDB Meetings of Pulwama, Shopian and on 1st July of Srinagar, Budgam.
On July 3, Sayeed chaired DDB meetings of Jammu, Reasi and approved Rs 193 cr outlay for Jammu, Rs 141 crore for Reasi besides announcing Industrial Estate for Reasi.
On 4th July, Mufti Sayeed chaired DDB meetings of Doda and Kishtwar with announcements of setting up of Chenab Valley Development Fund, Skill Development Institute. He approved Rs 156 crore outlay for Doda and Rs 115 crore for Kishtwar.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on March 6, 2017, chaired the DDB Meet of Srinagar and sanctioned 16 projects for Rs 234 crore under AMRUT. Also the Rs. 3600 crore Smart City project is being submitted to Centre for approval under which 101 projects of city development would be taken.
On 10th March, 2017, Mehbooba chaired DDB Jammu meeting and approved Rs 690 Cr Capital City Plan, Rs 212 cr Distt Sector Plan.
Other DDB Meetings:
Jan 7, 2017: Minister for Co-operatives and Ladakh Affairs, Chering Dorjay Chaired DDB Meet Reasi
Feb 21, 2017: Minister for Health & Medical Education, Bali Baghat chairs DDB Kishtwar.
Feb 28: Minister for Revenue, Relief and Rehabilitation, Abdul Rehman Veeri and Minister for Finance Dr Haseeb Drabu and Minister of State for Forests Mir Zahoor Ahmad chaired the DDB Meet of Pulwama.
Mar 4: Minister for Animal, Sheep Husbandry and Fisheries and Chairman DDB, Abdul Ghani Kohli chaired DDB Meet Ramban.
Mar 13: Minister for PHE, Irrigation and Flood Control, Sham Lal Choudhary chaired DDB of Kathua.
