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| Development through ATMs, restaurants and digital halls? | | Actions speak louder than words, Mr CM | | Early Times Report
JAMMU, Jan 2: If Chief Minister's admirers believe 2012 has been a year of consolidation and good governance they are mistaken. There has been a governance deficit ever since the third generation Abdullah took over the reins of the state. Even the Chief Minister has admitted it repeatedly, more so in the last three months of the year bygone. He has expressed his helplessness in eradicating corruption. And last week he had a sound counsel for the Union Government. "Do not repeat what I did in 2010", he said while commenting on the protests triggered by a gang rape in the national capital.
Yes, actions speak louder than the words. The Omar led Coalition Government has been boasting of holding Panchayat elections, SKEWPY, PSGA and stuff like that. All this is on paper. Development has to be tangible and must be visible on the ground. Getting death certificates, birth certificates and disability certificates on priority is no development. It is a service which the Government has otherwise supposed to provide to the people.
Who is unaware of the mess the Government created in the name of strengthening democracy at the grass root level? The panchayat elections were held but their empowerment remains a distant dream. The Government refused to provide security to the panches and sarpanches who dared militant threats, risked their lives and thus helped the Government get the grant from Centre which had been withheld.
As far as SKEWPY is concerned, it has been a total failure. By giving doles to unemployed youth in the name of employment, the Government has compromised their honour, dignity and integrity. If UP Government has borrowed the model, it must do some rethinking before it is too late.
The state no doubt has received an award for health services but the ground situation narrates a story of failure. The state's premier hospital, SKIMS compromises with the quality of oxygen. The alarming increase in the deaths forced the speaker of the Legislative Assembly to order a probe. Principal Government Medical College Jammu is involved in the death of a baby but he continues to hold the highest post in the college. Who can forget the deaths in Srinagar's GB Panth hospital?
One is forced to question the wisdom of the people who conferred an award on the state for forest protection. It is an admitted fact that the state is losing its forests at a rapid pace. Jammu Kashmir is a state where the ministers can afford to annex forest land and escape action.
The state has also been awarded for poverty reduction. By conferring this award, the IBN7 has rubbed salt into the wounds of the people of Jammu Kashmir. With more than five lakh unemployed educated youth around, the state is far behind Gujarat where they have really succeeded in reducing poverty.
And, if the state received a record number of tourists in the bygone year, has state played any role in it? Most of the tourists who visited the state are pilgrims. They visited the Mata Vaishnav Devi shrine. This has been happening since decades. It is the sentiment that gets the pilgrims to the state and not the efforts of the Government.
The Valley remained peaceful and tourists from all parts of the country came for holidaying. What role did Government play in having a calm Valley in 2012? The Government should be thankful to players like Geelani who welcomed tourists to the Valley. Can the Government deny this harsh reality?
The hapless people of the state can only thank the Chief Minister for holding 35 cabinet meetings and taking 228 decisions. So nice of him. But what is the outcome? Thirteen Degree Colleges have been approved. While the colleges created in the previous years still operate from single rooms, approving new colleges makes no sense. The cabinet should have approved up gradation of the existing colleges.
In addition, the cabinet has approved municipal elections, establishment of special mobile magistrates, a convention centre at Jammu, constitution of State Planning Board and residential flats for employees at Pampore and a variety of other projects. Koun jeeta hai teri zulf kay sar honay tak!
The Chief Minister also inaugurated ATMs and restaurants, DC office at Poonch, digital halls in Civil Secretariat, radio taxi, and restoration of Dastgeer Sahib Shrine besides other projects.
The Chief Minister has the distinction of inaugurating a free medical camp at Gulmarg!
The Chief Minister also laid the foundation stone of mini Secretariat at Poonch and Tangmarg. For what? He alone knows. According to official data, the Chief Minister has laid as many as 22 foundation stones. In Jammu Kashmir there has been a practice of laying three to four foundation stones for a single project. The foundation stone of the Hajj complex was first laid by Dr Farooq Abdullah. Then Mufti Sayeed laid it but forgot the project. The third foundation stone was laid by Ghulam Nabi Azad. Hats off to him, he completed the project and the plaque stone at the entrance of the complex now carries his name. |
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