JAMMU: Reiterating her resolve to realise the vision of Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti on Friday said she counts on the people’s support to make peace a reality in Jammu and Kashmir.
“Give me some time and support and I assure you that I will give you a peaceful, prosperous and promising Jammu and Kashmir,” the Chief Minister said while addressing an impressive gathering after inaugurating the grand Convention Centre here, the first of its kind in the region.
Deputy Chief Minister, Dr Nirmal Singh, Minister of State for Tourism and Education, Priya Sethi, Vice-Chairman SC Advisory Board, B.L Dogra, Legislators, Sat Sharma, Dr Gagan Bhagat and Rani Bloeria were present on the occasion.
Mehbooba said under the current circumstances when the State is facing multifarious challenges; it is only with the support of the people that the Government can make headway in consolidating the peace and rejuvenate the developmental activities. “We are committed to freeing the government from the menace of corruption, nepotism and inefficiency and making the institutions subservient to the people’s aspirations,” she asserted.
“We are working steadfastly to realize the vision of a peaceful and prosperous Jammu and Kashmir and the days and months to come, I promise you a new and prosperous future for the State where economic development and empowerment of youth, women and work force will be the priority,” she said and added that instead of thinking on regional and partisan lines, people in all the regions of J&K should think about the larger good of the whole state.
Mehbooba said various forces within and outside the State are out to subvert the Government’s peace and reconciliation efforts and today’s tragic incident at Bijbehara, where three security forces personnel lost their lives in a militant attack, is a grim reminder of the reprehensible designs of such elements. “Hundreds of civilians, security forces personnel, policemen and militants have been killed during the past more than two decades of turmoil in the State. Have we achieved anything out of this senseless bloodshed except leaving behind a trail of tragedies,” she asked.
“This vicious cycle of death and destruction has to end, and sooner the better,” the Chief Minister said and added it is not, however, possible without the support of the people of the State as they are the worst sufferers of this heart-rending bloodletting.
Making it clear that only sustained peace in J&K can allow her government to resuscitate the financial health and economy of the state which has been caught in a cobweb of violence, Ms Mehbooba said the violence has not only adversely affected our economy but has also prevented the state from realising its full potential in key sectors like tourism.
The Chief Minister said while the Government has already made its position clear on the issue of Sainik Colony and settlement of Kashmiri Pandits, still these issues are being raised in a distorted manner to create trouble in the Valley with the sole purpose of disrupting the tourist season and the economic activity. “The people should be cautious of the designs of such elements who want to keep the pot boiling for their own vested interests,” she said. Mehbooba said she chose to follow in the footsteps of her father by aligning with BJP to respect the mandate of the people in Jammu region. “I chose to follow the footsteps of my father, who had chosen the toughest option of aligning with BJP, which alone guarantees a representative government that respects the wishes and aspirations of people in all the three regions of the state and could revive the peace and reconciliation process within the State and the region,” she said.
The Chief Minister said her Government is committed to people’s welfare, especially the weaker sections including women and several path-breaking welfare initiatives have been taken by the Government for the masses. “We have already taken some measures for empowerment of women including setting of women specific entrepreneurship centres, establishment of women police stations, women special buses, reservation of 10% land for women entrepreneurs in industrial estates, 50% subsidy for girl students for purchase of scooters and marriage assistance scheme etc,” she said and added that these may look small initiatives but as a lady herself she knows the essence of these measures well.
Allaying fears about Jammu losing focus due to direct train services to the holy town of Katra, Chief Minister promised to take effective steps in positioning the winter capital as an independent tourist destination.
She said there is no dearth of tourist destinations in Jammu and with its treasure trove of heritage sites the city will attract a huge footfall of tourists. “The government will strategize and diversify activities for development of Jammu as an independent tourist destination for which a comprehensive plan has been drawn up,” she said.
Enumerating the measures to be taken up for development of tourist spots in the winter capital, Ms Mehbooba said the work on restoration of Mubarak Mandi Heritage Complex would be expedited and the Government has already got in touch with various organisation including German Embassy in India to chalk out a strategy for early restoration of this historic site.
Questions Pakistan’s love for Kashmir
Jammu: Questioning Pakistan’s stand on Kashmir, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Friday asked whether the militant attack on the BSF convoy in Bijbehara was the way to show its love for the people.
“First Pathankot airbase attack and then these type of incidents, Pakistan must think over it, if you (Pakistan) love the people of Kashmir, then this is not the way to express it,” Mehbooba Mufti said during a function here. “Had there been a retaliatory fire (from BSF), how many innocent civilians would have lost their lives in today’s attack,” she said.
While condemning the attack in which three BSF personnel were killed, the CM said that had the BSF retaliated to the attack, a Handawara like situation would have emerged in Bijbehara.
“What did they get by killing the BSF personnel who come to do their duty in the valley? There were civilians in the area, children, old aged, had the BSF retaliated how many civilians casualties would have taken place?” she said. She said that common people in Kashmir do not support such type of attacks.
“People might have supported all this post 1987 elections but they do not support it any longer”, she said.
She said that Pakistan should think over this as such type of incidents won’t give anything to it and the common people were bearing the brunt.
“Not only people get killed but the economy also suffers.
My father Mufti Mohammed Sayeed toiled to bring tourists to Kashmir but such type of attacks also deter tourists from visiting the Valley,” she said.
Targeting the separatists for opposing the setting up of colonies for retired soldiers and Kashmiri Pandits in the Valley, she said that even when her government has made it clear that no Sainik colony would come up in Kashmir, separatists were giving strike calls. Mehbooba also said that the situation was not conducive to settling the Kashmiri Pandits back to their native villages in the valley. “We cannot ask the Kashmiri Pandits to return to their villages, they need a place to live for sometime in the Valley from where they can later return to their villages.
Even the leaders and party workers who are Muslims and have security guards are staying in guest houses. They are unable to live in their villages how can the Kashmiri Pandits be asked to go and live in villages,” she said.