Jitendra terms it ‘triple gift’
STATE TIMES NEWS
ANANTNAG: Promising to safeguard the honour and dignity of people of the State, Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti, on Thursday said it is time for the good things happening in the country to find their way into the State of Jammu and Kashmir.
Mehbooba said she has set many goals and is extremely confident of achieving them with the able support of the Centre and the people of J and K.
“I am sure the alliance government in the State will work towards healing the wounds of the people who have suffered enormous difficulties and hardships for more than two decades now,” she added.
The Chief Minister was addressing a huge gathering, after jointly flagging off with the Union Minister for Railways, Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu (through video conferencing), four new DEMU (Diesel Engine Mobile Unit) passenger trains between Banihal-Baramulla and Baramulla-Budgam, here.
It was her first public address in Anantnag after becoming the Chief Minister last month.
Deputy Chief Minister, Dr. Nirmal K. Singh, senior PDP leader and MP, Muzaffar Hussain Baig, Minister for PW(R&B) and Parliamentary Affairs, A. R. Veeri, Minister of State for Haj & Auqaf, Syed Farooq Ahmad Andrabi, several Legislators and former Deputy Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, Sartaj Madni were also present on the occasion.
In his address, Dr. Nirmal Singh said the BJP-PDP alliance will write a new chapter in the annals of state’s history. He said with Centre’s liberal financial assistance, J&K will be able to achieve its goal of making J&K a true model state in the country.
“It gives me great satisfaction to see that four new trains will chug in the valley, taking the total number of trains to 30,” he said, while describing rail as a common man’s best transportation.
The Deputy Chief Minister said Union Railways Minister had assured former Chief Minister, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, of upgrading the rail infrastructure in the state so that an all-weather link between Valley and the rest of the country is established.
Similarly at New Delhi, Minister of State in PMO, Dr. Jitendra Singh and Minister of State for Railways, Manoj Sinha, accompanied Suresh Prabhu at Rail Bhawan, for the ceremony.
Congratulating the people on the introduction of four new trains today, the Chief Minister said she hopes it is the beginning of many more good initiatives which will be taken by the Centre in the State. “As India makes giant strides on the development front, we hope J&K will get its fair share in the country’s rise,” she stated.
The Chief Minister said sound railway network contributes to the productive potential of the economy, including alleviating congestion in the road network and facilitating development. She said it was a cherished dream of her father, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, to provide people with a dedicated network of trains that crisscross the picturesque Kashmir valley and transcend cultural and religious barriers to connect them with the rest of the country.
Mehbooba Mufti said connectivity is the single biggest determinant of development and trains make commuting easier for those who live far away from their workplaces or colleges. “I am looking forward to the completion of 111-km-long Katra-Banihal Railway Line, which will provide an all-weather link to the Valley,” she added.
Describing as huge the spin off that the rail network will have on the State’s tourism sector, Mehbooba said that she will take up with the Central government the introduction of a new train service -Valley on Wheels – on the pattern of Palace on Wheels, which has given a huge fillip to the tourism industry of Rajasthan. “Special tourist trains to valley from Ahmedabad, Mumbai and Kolkata will further increase tourist footfall to the State,” she said, while also pitching for Joy Trains for children and family outings.
In order to facilitate travelers visiting the State, Mehbooba Mufti urged the Union Railway Minister to open Passenger Reservation Centres at the health resorts of Gulmarg, Pahalgam, Patnitop and Sonamarg. She also demanded dedicated stalls for showcasing fabled Handicraft products under the Union Railway Ministry’s ‘Station Development Programme’.
Highlighting the advantages of railways in promotion of the State’s horticulture sector, Mehbooba Mufti said Kashmir’s wide range of fruits will find it much easier to reach terminal markets and Mandis in the rest of the country. “We aim to popularize use of freight trains to better market our fruits so that they are able to reach new destinations in the country well in time,” she added.
Drawing the attention of the people towards the grave threat posed by terror across the globe, the Chief Minister praised India’s pluralism that has bestowed upon its people, including Muslims, respect and honour all over the globe. She, however, rued the prevailing gun culture propagated by a miniscule section, which has maligned the image of the great religion of Islam and wreaked havoc on Muslim nations, right from Iraq, Syria, Libya to Pakistan. “Such is the level of human tragedy that Syrian children are forced to eat paper to survive.” she said, while describing the youth of J&K as her first and prime responsibility.
Describing J&K as a perfect match to India’s multiculturalism, the Chief Minister said J&K occupies a special position in the country’s Constitution. Mehbooba said she is determined to carry forward the development agenda which will help in changing the perception, which has taken a heavy toll on its economy by affecting its lucrative travel industry.
Referring to her recent meetings with the RBI Governor and several foreign delegations over the last few days, Mehbooba Mufti said she will open up new opportunities of employment for the hugely talented youth of the state. She also admired their exuberance and courage for having survived the persistent onslaught of violence.
“We will soon unveil several exchange and assistance programmes for importation of knowledge and expertise so that our youth get tangibly benefitted. The RBI Governor has also assured me of giving first preference to the youth of J&K in jobs in the State’s banking sector,” she said, urging Suresh Prabhu to also facilitate recruitment of skilled local youth in the railways.
After flagging off the trains, the Chief Minister boarded the newly-launched service and undertook the journey up to Baramulla. She also interacted with several schoolchildren who boarded the train at various stations.
The trains will run six-days-a-week between Budgam and Baramulla, and Banihal and Baramulla. These will have eight coaches with the same speed that are already running on the track but with limited stops.
On her arrival at Srinagar, the Chief Minister also flagged off five SRTC buses that will take passengers from Nowgam Railway Station to Lal Chowk. Out of these, two buses will be reserved for women passengers. The service has been launched on her directions to provide respite to the daily commuters who suffer on account of poor to-and-fro bus service. Those who joined the Chief Minister at various stations during her journey included Ministers, Ghulam Nabi Lone (Hanjura), Syed Basharat Bukhari and Imran Raza Ansari, besides senior PDP leaders Rafi Mir and Pir Mansoor.
In New Delhi, the Railway Minister said, “The new train services will benefit the passengers in the Valley. He said the addition of more trains will help tourists to visit the Valley. “The train services have reduced the travelling distance and time in the region and train fare is also cheaper than road transport,” Prabhu said. He said Kashmir handicrafts will also be made available in the IRCTC website.
Dr Jitendra Singh, who was guest of honour on the occasion, thanked the Ministry of Railways for what he described as “triple gift” for people of Kashmir … … firstly this will bring convenience by reducing the journey time, secondly this will be more economical since the Railway fare is competitively lower and thirdly it will also generate revenue for the local people because every tourist visiting the Valley would like to have the pleasant experience of at least one journey on this beautiful rail stretch.
Singh said, a romantic rail journey in the scenic Valley of Paradise is an experience which cannot be felt unless one goes through it and added that he was envious of the friends and colleagues who were attending the ceremony from Anantnag and who were scheduled to undertake a brief rail trip after the inaugural programme. He said, he was sure that in the times to come, just as Kashmir has innumerable, matchless tourist spots to offer for visitors from all over the world, the experience of this beautiful rail journey will also become an essential part of the tourist itinerary for every visitor.
Referring to the Modi Government’s commitment to accord high priority for developmental works in Jammu and Kashmir, Dr Jitendra Singh said today’s quantum expansion in rail network is a reiteration of Prime Minister’s resolve to bring up peripheral States like Jammu and Kashmir and Northeast at par with the rest of the country.
Meanwhile, National Conference MLA Abdul Majeed Larmi today criticised the railways for not inviting him for the flagging off ceremony of two new train services held in his Homeshalibugh constituency in Jammu and Kashmir.
“I was not invited by the railway authorities but by the Deputy Commissioner as I am the local MLA,” he said.
The MLA questioned the motive of the PDP-BJP government to include the name of Sartaj Madni, PDP General Secretary and uncle of Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti Sayeed, in the advertisements for inauguration of the new trains while his name was excluded.
The function took place at Anantnag railway station.
Former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah earlier said, “What a shame that an office bearer of a political party is a ‘guest of honour’ but the local MLA isn’t included.” “What a pity that the @BJP4India & @jkpdp conspired to denigrate the institution of elected representatives! cc @sureshpprabhu,” Omar wrote on micro-blogging site Twitter.
In another tweet, he said, “The station where the function is being held is in Homshalibugh constituency @sureshpprabhu sahib.”
Omar said, “Was he (Majeed) snubbed because he is @JKNC_ MLA? I remember Mufti Sahib (former Chief Minister and PDP patron) being given a seat on the dais with (then PM) Dr Manmohan Singh and Mrs (Sonia) Gandhi during my term (as CM) even though it wasn’t his area”.
‘WILL PROTECT SPECIAL STATUS OF J&K’
Anantnag : Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Thursday said she would protect the special status guaranteed to Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 of the Constitution, as she was promise-bound and cannot betray the people.
“When we fight elections, be it BJP or Congress or PDP, we take oath that we will protect the Constitutions of India and J-K. So, we are promise-bound and we cannot betray. This is our
identity and we have to protect it,” Mehbooba said here.
She was addressing a gathering before flagging-off four new DEMU trains between Banihal-Baramulla and Baramulla-Budgam in Kashmir Valley at Anantnag railway station.
Mehbooba said before taking oath as the chief minister, she was asked not to ally with the BJP, but she responded by saying that in 1947 the State had already acceded to the whole country, which included the saffron party.
“But what we have to see is how to protect our identity. Those things which the God has given us and the Constitution of India has given to us, we have to protect them. Recently, there was a conference in Delhi where Chief Justice and all the justices of the country were present. I told them only one thing that Jammu and Kashmir’s special position under Article 370 is part of Indian Constitution,” she said.
The Chief Minister, however, said that for protecting the identity of the State, the impression that the situation in Jammu and Kashmir is very bad, needs to be changed.