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| Modi’s Uri visit marred by controversy, MPs & local MLA abstain | | NHPC officials, top notch politicians engage in war of words | | Jehangir Rashid
SRINAGAR, July 4: Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Uri in connection with the inauguration of second phase of Uri hydro-electric power project was marred by a controversy as the Lok Sabha Member of Parliament for North Kashmir, Muzaffar Hussain Beigh along with other top notch politicians were found missing at the function.
Sources said that Beigh along with Pradesh Congress Committee, President, Professor Saif-ud-Din Soz, National Conference leader Mohammad Shafi Uri and Health & Medical Education Minister, Taj Mohi-ud-Din were not present during the function wherein the Prime Minister inaugurated 240 megawatts Uri-II Hydro Electric Project at Uri in the frontier district of Baramulla.
While Beigh represents the North Kashmir in Lok Sabha both Soz and Uri are the members of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha. On the other hand Taj is the local MLA as he represents Uri in the Legislative Assembly. Their absence during the function somewhat devalued the importance of the official function seen as a milestone in the power generation in the state.
Sources while quoting the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) officials said that invitations had been sent to the MPs as well as the local MLA but still then they did not attend the function. The NHPC officials said that there was no fault from their side and the decision not to take part in the function was the personal one of the dignitaries who missed out.
On the other hand the MPs and the local legislator said that the invitation was sent to them at the eleventh hour. They said that it was not possible for them to take part in the function given the security hassles involved with the visit of a high profile personality like Prime Minister. However, Congress MLC accepted the invitation of NHPC and took part in the function.
The residents of Uri, the border town also got disappointed since the Prime Minister did not address them as he did at Katra while flagging off the inaugural train between Udhampur and Katra. Uri inhabitants were hoping to listen to Modi but their hopes got dashed given the tight schedule of Prime Minister.
Addressing a gathering on the occasion, the Prime Minister said the Central Government has laid stress on environment-friendly energy of which hydro power is an important constituent. He said Jammu and Kashmir has a potential of production of 13,000-14,000 megawatts clean and environment-friendly energy for which he said all the efforts would be channelized.
Modi said that Jammu and Kashmir is on the path of development and progress and visualized many big mile stones in coming days. He announced up-gradation of Kendriya Vidyalya from High School to Higher Secondary School for which admission would be started from the coming session.
Governor, N.N. Vohra, Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah, Union Minister of State for Power, Piyush Goyal, Chief Secretary, Mohammad Iqbal Khanday, DGP, K Rajendra, Principal Secretary Power, A.K. Mehta, Divisional Commissioner, Shailender Kumar, IGP, Abdul Gani Mir, officials of NHPC, HCC and other officials of civil and police administration were present at the function.
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