Early Times Report
KATHUA, Sept 18: As a part of mass contact programme, BJP National Executive Member & J&K Chief Spokesperson Dr Jitendra Singh today undertook an extensive tour of district Kathua and held a series of block level public meetings at Nagri, Keerian Gandyal and other places. He was acompanied by prominent BJP leaders of the district including, Dr Narinder, Mandal Presidents Chhatar Singh,Ramesh ji, and Kaka Singh,Janak Bharati, Anil Sharma, S.Harbans Singh, Puroshattam ji and others.
Addressing the various meetings, Dr Jitendra Singh said, while the people were yearning for a change and the country was ready for it, it is now for the political class to rise up to this popular expectation. He said, Narendra Modi's anointment had inspired a new hope across the country but unfortunately, by the time the Congress led UPA quits the Government in New Delhi, things would have gone from bad to worse. Likewise, in the state of Jammu & Kashmir also, Congress party has developed a vested interest in the continuance of corruption ridden coalition Government led by National Conference and here also people are restless for change, he added.
Dr Jitendra Singh said, the border district of Kathua was a victim of double assault and explained, on the one hand people here were faced with constant cross-border mischief by Pakistan while on the other hand, they suffered discrimination and exploitation in the hands of Kashmir-centric state government.
Dr Jitendra Singh alleged that instead of sympathetically addressing the problems of border area people, the chief minister was pressing for partial revocation of AFSPA in order to appease the separatist constituency. Meanwhile, ministers and MLAs hailing from this area were behaving like ministers or MLAs of a particular party and refusing to give a fair deal to those who, according to them, did not owe allegiance to National Conference or Congress, he added.
Referring to long standing local problems of district Kathua, Dr Jitendra Singh said, it is ironic that even after 66 years of independence, "Kandi" area related water scarcity, injudicious water drainage, development of rural roads, poor connectivity to peripheral villages like Keeriyan and other such issues remain unresolved. The unemployment rate has gone up during past five years of coalition rule even as the government is keen to bring back and provide employment to the youth who had crossed over to Pakistan for militancy training, he said. |
