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Union budget has not gone down well with Kashmiris ? Jammu and Ladakh 7/13/2014 1:20:46 AM Rustam JAMMU, July 12: The Union budget, which was presented by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in the Lok Sabha on July 10, has not gone down well with certain vested interests in Kashmir. Significantly, the People's Democratic Party (PDP), which stands for self-rule, shared sovereignty and so on, unlike the National Conference (NC), the Congress and many vested interests in the Valley, has welcomed the budget. Earlier, the PDP leadership had welcomed the rail budget, which was presented by the Railway Minister Sadananda Gowda in the Parliament on July 8. Why did not the Union budget go down well with sections of political class and society in the Valley? They are unhappy for three reasons. One was that the Union Government sanctioned prestigious Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) for Jammu. The other was that the Modi government sanctioned a 500-crore solar project for Ladakh. The third reason was that the Union government did not earmark sufficient amount for the promotion of Pashmina-related industry. Rs 50 crore was a paltry sum for the growth of pashmina industry has been their argument. "Rs 50 crore for a pashmina and crafts promotion program for Kashmir is too little and too off the mark. This kind of allocation would not satisfy the special needs of J&K in general and that of Kashmir region in particular. Kashmir region has a serious infrastructure deficit. It needs economic activities that would create jobs in line with the levels of current educational attainment of Kashmir's youth," said a Kashmiri commentator while reflecting on the Union budget. Significantly, the vested interests in Kashmir or the anti-Jammu and anti-Ladakh elements in the Valley did appreciate the allocation of Rs 200 crore for bringing the indoor and outdoor stadiums in the state to international standard, but with a rider that the "in entire scheme of implementation it is important that regional equity is respected". "If narrow political considerations (aspirations of Jammu and Ladakh) would guide Union Government's budgeting for this sensitive state, it would only serve to exasperate the existing political gulf between Srinagar and New Delhi," it was also said. The entire approach of the vested interests in Kashmir to the Union budget is Valley-centric or parochial. This, despite the fact that Jammu and Ladakh have never ever got a fair treatment either from New Delhi or from the Kashmiri-dominated successive governments in the state. It's no wonder that such a negative approach has only further embittered the already rather bitter inter-regional relations with the more radical elements in these two regions demanding trifurcation of the state. It needs t be underlined that Jammu and Ladakh deserve a special treatment because they have suffered gross neglect during the past more than 66 years.   Share This News with Your Friends on Social Network     Comment on this Story

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