Not a good omen - Early Times Newspaper Jammu Kashmir

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Not a good omen

R.B. Suri

3/14/2018 8:52:53 PM

With the exit of the Finance Minister Dr. Haseeb Drabu, the Coalition Government of PDP and BJP has a big jolt and certainly it is not a good omen. Very recently, I had written in one of mine article that all is not well in Coalition Government. Sacking of Dr. Drabu has proved it. Serious crisis has occurred. Dr. Haseeb Drabu with his sharp skill and positive thinking put the state on sound financial base . His sacking has given a serious set back to the PDP and BJP alliance . This is just an excuse put forth by the Chief Minister of the state Mehbooba Mufti that He ( Dr. Drabu ) has made a controversial statement at New Delhi while addressing a gathering of the organization of the Business Community i.e. PHDCCI. His controversial remarks are quoted here as under:
"For, Kashmir is no just a political problem but a social issue. Our society has been ravaged and we need to address first. It is in this we seek your help." Now it is a debatable issue as it has opened the Pandora box about the functioning of the Coalition Government as also of PDP. A conclusive inference can be drawn from the fact that Mehbooba Mufti must be feeling uneasy with the sacked Finance Minister Dr. Haseeb A.Drabu these days. It is very strange that he was asked to give the clarifications about happening but without getting the appropriate reply from him, He was sacked unceremoniously. This not a good omen indeed. Frankly speaking, I have not met him personally but I as a writer were watching his working and acts keenly. Earlier also I have written so many articles about him and his party in the right earnest. It may be a slip of tongue from the mouth of Dr. Haseeb Drabu but not predetermined . Taking the drastic action in dropping him from the State Cabinet by the Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti can be suicidal for the PDP which has already lost its credibility in the general masses of the valley. Pertinent to mention here that some sort of infighting is there in PDP already. Other Cabinet Ministers did not see eye to with the sacked Finance Minister Dr. Drabu and Naeem Akhtar. Since both of them in the past remained as the Government Officers and whereas the others of separate stuff are from the general masses . These two are of the same stuff and had good background without any stigma . Both are th real 'Architects' of the Agenda of Alliance (AoA) based upon which the present Coalition Government is functioning in the state of Jammu and Kashmir.
Mufti Mohammed Sayeed was a farsighted human being as also an experienced politician who ruled this state just for a period of one year as the Chief Minister. He also remained as the Home Minister of the country.
When Mufti Mohammed Sayeed became the Chief Minister of J&K , his eyes were on the well learned economist of International repute Dr. Haseeb Drabu for giving him the assignment of Finance Minister of the state of Jammu and Kashmir . Pertinent to mention here that Dr. Haseeb Drabu remained as the Chairman of J&K Bank for a pretty long time and by his actions and deeds , brought many changes in the working of the bank in close consultations with the Reserve bank of India .Mufti Mohammed Sayeed gave Dr. Haseeb Drabu a place in his cabinet as the Finance Minister. Dr. Drabu remained as the Finance Minister of the state till Mufti's death. He has done doctorate of economics from center for development studies ( Trivandrum) JNU university. He started his career with Government of India in 1990 first with the Perspective Planning Division of the Planning Commission of India ( now Nitti Ayog) then as a Consultant in the Economic Advisory Council of the Prime Minister and finally with the Tenth Finance Commission. During the Mufti's rule, he presented only one Finance Budget for the state. Budget - 2015-16 put the state back on rails as Omar Abdullah as the Chief Minster created the financial chaos and mess and left the huge liabilities i.e. more than 9000 crores for his successor for clearance. Since Dr. Drabu was a trusted man of Mufti Sahib, on becoming the Chief Minister of the state, Mehbooba Mufti gave the chance to Dr. Drabu to serve the state once again as the Finance Minister . Also pertinent to mention that Dr. Drabu is a straight forward and methodical personality of high caliber and integrity . On January 11, Dr. Haseeb Drabu presented his fourth Finance Budget of the state for the year 2018-19 in the J&K Legislative Assembly. This is a good Budget indeed as the same has covered almost all the sectors of development as also special care has been taken to provide the funds judiciously to every sector. Dr. Haseeb Drabu faithfully discharged his commitment made to the 4.50 Lakh employees and 1.50 Lakh pensioners of the state in connection with the implementation of the recommendations of the 7th CPC . effective from April 1, 2018 thereby giving the benefits of the same to be effective from January 2016. By his this action , he proved himself as the man of commitment in the right earnest . Of the total Finance Budget 2018-19, the state would be spending 37% over the payment of the salaries and pensions to the employees and the pensioners of the state.
Not only this, by concerted efforts of Dr. Drabu, the pensioners of the state are getting the fair treatment in bringing them under the fold of Mediclaim Insurance Group Policy benefitting about 30 Lakhs souls of the state in the right earnest. Every employee and the pensioner is praising him like anything on this score. They sent him the good wishes and their blessings. In 2014, Dr. Haseeb Drabu formally joined PDP and contested the Assembly elections on the party ticket from his home constituency Rajpura and winning it with a big margin . While presenting the Finance Budget 2018-19, Dr. Haseeb Drabu has covered almost all the important segments of the society which include Industrialists, Traders, Businessmen, Employees, Pensioners, Poor, Cooperative Banks, Sick industrial units , etc. etc.
BJP leaders have termed it as a major set back to the Coalition Government of the state . It is worth mentioning here that whenever there was any sort of clash or misunderstanding between the two ideologically different Coalition partners in the past, Dr. Drabu remained instrumental in getting the things sorted out amicably so as to avoid any breakdown of the Coalition Government . On the contrary it is painful that none of the important dignitary or the Cabinet Minister came forward in ending the crisis cropped up due to the so called controversial remarks of Dr. Drabu about Kashmir.Abdul Ghani Veeri , Madniand Andrabi played an aggressive role in showing the out gate to Dr. Drabu immediately.
Not good omen indeed. Because of the growing internal differences in PDP as also differences with BJP, there is a threat to the survival of the Coalition Government. Political Analysts feel that this government will remain in power for a short span only and ultimately Mehbooba Mufti is bound to go.

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