Asif Iqbal Naik
KISHTWAR, Feb 17: Minister of State for Home Sajjad Ahmed Kichloo today said that Kashmir valley relatively remained calm after the hanging of 2001 Parliament attack convict Mohammad Afzal Guru.
Kichloo, who was on a visit to Kishtwar, said that few people created a fear psychosis among the common people about the ramifications in case the Guru will be hanged.
"Kishtwar is calm and will remain calm in future as well--- All the myths that situation will turn ugly and hundreds will get killed in case Afzal Guru will be hanged proved wrong," said Sajjad Ahmed Kichloo.
Kichloo said that government has issued necessary directions to the police to demonstrate maximum restraint while dealing with the people and said that during curfew days, the government provided all basic facilities like milk, vegetables, LPG to the people in Kashmir at door step. He said that due to good coordination between the government and people, besides good policing, the government successfully manages to tackle the situation in Kashmir. He said that state government will welcome any decision of centre government over handing over of body of Afzal Guru. "We have no problem in case the centre will hand over the body of Guru to his family members-in fact we will welcome any such decision," added Kichloo.
While denying the state government's role in the decision to hang Guru, Kichloo said that the decision of hanging Afzal Guru was purely taken by the central government. "The incident took place in Delhi, he (Guru) was trailed in Delhi and hanged in Delhi as well" Kichloo said.
He said that the decision of handing over of Guru's body to his family members is the decision to be taken by the central government and state has no role in it.
Kichloo along with Minister of State for Sheep and Animal Husbandry Nazir Ahmed Gurezi also visited District Hospital Kishtwar and inspected its functioning. During their visit to Hospital, Kichloo and Gurezi interacted with the patients and took stock of the medical facilities available to the public. While talking to the media persons, Kichloo said that the government has somehow managed to overcome the growing problem of shortage of doctors in District Hospital Kishtwar. He said that efforts are being made to improve the health facility system in Kishtwar District. He also said that problem of shortage of medians as well as paramedical staff will be addressed soon. He said that work on Kishtwar-Dachhan, Gulabgard-Machail road is in full swing. He said that within next few months, the construction work on 450 MW Karthai HEP will be started and said that local unemployed youths will get job opportunity in this power project. In a question regarding increase in smuggling of Sapphire from Padder mines, Kichloo said that he had read about it in "Early Times" , however, he feigned ignorance on the issue.
He said that SP Kishtwar and DC Kishtwar are here to look into such reports, beside to take action against the smugglers.
Kichloo said that as an Industries Minister, his job is to explore the resources for bidding of Sapphire mines at national and international level so that the state gets good revenue through bidding of these famous mines. |
