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| Empty slogans don’t have any development policy | | |
Congress says its three years surpassed 60 years. But most of six decades it was Congress rule –direct or indirect, argues DAYA SAGAR
The political controversies in the political elite of Jammu and Kashmir have never been as vibrant and ill aimed as have been seen since mid 2006. But still the coalition government stayed in place. The political leaders keep on accusing the intentions of each other and still stay together to reap the benefits to their self. Leaders from Congress, PDP, National Conference, Panthers Party and even BSP have accusing each other actively since November this year. BJP was not named in this list as it is only party which never shared power in J&K although NC shared power with BJP in New Delhi. A national level local Congress “leader” has gone to the extent of even accusing for misadventures, inefficiency, corruption , neglect of the poor and backward areas of Jammu Region, and the like all the Congress lead or Congress supported governments in state except the one lead by Ghulam Nabi Azad from 2006 to 2008.
Interestingly, the fact of the matter is that right from the times of Bakshi Ghulam Mohammed in 1953 till the end of the era of Sayeed Mir Qasim in 1975 it was Congress regime for all practical purposes. After an interval of five years -1977 to 1982 –the Congress ruled the state –directly or indirectly till National Conference assumed power in 1996. So what does the Congress leaders want to convey when they say that present leadership could do in three years what others could not do in over 50 years also needs to be explained by them.
The political parties are making tall promises like raising retirement age for the Government servants from 58 to 60 years, providing as large as 50000 jobs in government, regularization of the daily wage employees , granting the revised pay scales as granted to Central Government Employees like 6th pay commission recommendations, making new recruitments in police , and like. One would ask Congress leaders that why did they not do it in their earlier government , were they waiting to announce the same before elections to take political advantage ( but could not do since unexpectedly PDP withdrew support in June and attempt to prove majority on the floor of house too failed ). To others as well as Congress who are making such promises one would also ask (i) where will they recruit new government servants (ii ) how will they meet the increase in the wages of existing employees and that of new employees when the state is already facing huge deficit (iii ) why they have not made public their plans through which they want to increase the income of the State for meeting the establishment costs as well as the programmes under which new recruitments will made ( iv ) do they want to raise additional police force simply to give employment to the unemployed or they expect the law and order / security to further deteriorate and for that they need additional forces .
It would have been better for those who held the reins of government and are now seeking elections claiming extraordinary development in J&K over last six years to have made public the data on the some works with the target dates and actual commissioning dates . Claims do not stand since data as available is not that encouraging. The up graded Jammu Medical College Hospital to the level of the level of the Hospital of AIMS ( with one time grant from GOI ) that was announce in 2004 is no where in operation even after over 4 years. The new buildings of district hospitals are not functional as per the requirements due to non availability of infrastructure, staff and specialist doctors. Even the road improvement works ( not new roads) under taken with loans from agencies like Asian Development Bank Project with readily available finances in hand are far behind the schedule and the original ADB Loan project dead line for completing the works is around June 2009. To quote a small 30 meter span multi barrel box culvert over Manannu Nallah on Samba Mansar Road was allotted to JK Projects Construction Corpn Ltd ( April 2006) under the projects of Asian Development Bank and no work has been done till date; Saki Maidan-Kalai Road Poonch ( allotted April 2007 ) only one % work done till Dec2008 ( target April 200( ) ; double laning of Baribrahmana/Bishnah Road till Dec 2008 only 61% work done ( target date was April 2008) ; Sidhra-Surinsarr-Mansar Road improvement work ( started Dec 2006 ) was to be completed by Dec 08 but till Dec 08 only 20 % work has been done , Chenani-Sudh Mahadev Road was to be completed by December 2008 but till December 2008 only 13 % work was completed ; Lethpora-Penthachowk Road ( target date kept Nov 2008 ) till Dec 2008 only 42 % work done ; Watergram-Behrampora Hib Dangerpora Road has Feb 2009 as dead line but only 25 % work completed till Dec 2008, Sumbal Markundal-Hajin Madwan Road ( target Feb 2009 ) only 23 % work done so far ; Humhama-Budgam and Raithon-Arizal Road was to be completed in Dec 2008 but only 21% work done till Dec 2008 ; for Circular road & Goma Kargil Road (5km ) target date is March 2009 but only 10% construction has been done . In case we believe that 3 Shift Azad culture was also implemented ( with out any additional supervisory / Engineering staff for 3 shifts ) then the target dates would have been drawn further .
May it be a leader from Jammu region or that from Kashmir region, the political objectives have not been different. People from both Jammu as well as Kashmir region are being exploited by the local leaders. After the elections those who are calling their opponents antinational and anti people would rub shoulders with them and share the benefits ; their voters would stand isolated and confused searching for their saviors.
The insurgents have surely done a great damage to the social, communal and economic structure of J&K . But the politicians too have not lagged behind. National conference had fallen back in 2002 in the absence of the Dr. Farooq Abdullah leading from front. Omar Abdullah had lost election. Congress too thought in October 2002 that Mufti Mohd Sayeed being a senior leader and ex- Congressman would be a better Chief Minister . Ghulam Nabi Azad was considered less suitable for handling the local J&K affairs. Ofcourse some had opined that Ghulam Nabi Azad belonged to Jammu region and may not be acceptable to a Kashmiri. I doubt this was a genuine argument. Some other political parties and independents stood against Dr. Farooq Abdullah’s National Conference .For some it was a better opportunity for tasting power along with weak Congress and infant PDP instead of heavy weight National conference. Bhim Singh’s J&K National Panther Party too joined the Government. Bhim Singh who had 4 elected MLA’s managed two ministerial berths for his men. Panthers party had been blessed with success more due to internal fighting in the cadres of BJP , Jammu State Morcha and Congress. BJP stood no where in the 2002 Assembly.
Mufti government started with policies like healing touch. But the manner in which the healing touch slogans were made by Mufti Sayeed did not send positive signals. Some opponents of Mufti accused Mufti of siding with militants and anti India elements. Mufti knew quite well that there was no tall local leader that was firmly connected with the cause of Jammu region and New Delhi had made J&K affairs as Kashmir affairs. Some leaders from Jammu Region have been wise enough to exploit the common people in the name of Dogriat, Greater Jammu, regional imbalance and irrational distribution of development funds. But all this has so far been only to earn some share in the booty. PDP President had in November 2005 very firmly said that Recommendations of Wazir Commission for giving 3 new districts to Jammu Division can be implemented only if Shopian and Ganderbal are also made along with Bandipora in Kashmir Division. And Ghulam Nabi Azad in July 2006 did that and some so called saviors of Jammu cause celebrated it as Jammu Mahutsav hoping to get some share in power, any how they failed to enter Cabinet.
J&K National Panther Party appears to be cleverly playing with the aspirations of the people ( both ) from Jammu region & Kashmir region . Ghulam Nabi Azad did show some intentions for taking in hand the cause of backward and neglected areas of J&K but more of his energies have been consumed to balance many other counter weights for his survival
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