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| NC wishes Congress to retain power in centre | | |
Nirbahy Jammual
As far as the National Conference is concerned its leadership is said to be praying for the Congres to retain power in the centre. The NC leadership is aware that the ongoing Lok Sabha election is unikely to see any single political party, including the Congress and the BJP, to get even simple majority in the Lok Sabha. The NC leadership knows it fully well that the next Government will again be a coalition rule. Since the NC leadership had cast its lot with the Congress it wishes the Congress led UPA Government back to power in the centre. Wittingly or unwittingly Farooq Abdullah seems to have burnt the party bridges with the BJP after he blamed the BJP Prime Ministerial candidate, L.K.Advani, for having forced him (Farooq) to release three militants, detained in the state Jails, in exchange of airlines hostages at Kandhar. It is not only a matter of political convenience for the National Conference to see the Congress retain power in the centre. It is the question of its survival in Jammu and Kashmir. Survival in the sense that the NC led coalition Government plans to carry out series of development schemes. This is possible provided the central Government made available large amount of money. The state is faced with financial stringency and it can show results only with the centre making available funds.
First of all by July the Government has to implement the 6th Pay Commission recommendations which would impose additional financial burden on the state exchequer to the tune of several thousand crores of rupees. No doubt it has announced that the arrears of the pay revision with effect from January 2006 will be disbursed as and when resources become available. Well the employees can wait for another six to eight months but they may not give up the claim for receiving the arrears. This way the state Government has to bank on the central Government assistance and aid. The state may be forced to resort to additional resource mobilisation but the scope in this field is limited. The NC-Congress coalition Government cannot risk survival by imposing heady dose of taxes in its budget proposals to be presented in the state legislature in July-August. Since in the 2002 -2008 coalition rule people had not to face any major tax hike. That could have been one of the reasons for the PDP to better its winning record in 2008 Assembly when it bagged 21 seats against 16 in 2002 poll. The current coalition Government can remain satisfied if it imposed mild dose of taxes but that could be possible once the funds are assured to flow from the centre.
The Government is committed to adopt fresh policy on the future settlement of the casual workers, and regularisation of adhoc and contractual employees. This scheme too is estimated to cost several hundred crores of rupees. No doubt the state has constituted two committees to examine the issues pertaining to casual workers,adhoc and contractual employees the implementation of the recommendations of the two committees will depend on the quantum of funds released by the central Government.And if the Congress is able to retain power in the centre it would not hesitate sanctioning liberal financial assistance for Jammu and Kashmir. The centre was liberal between 2002 and 2008 as far as allocating financial aid was concerned because the Congress led UPA Government wanted the congress that shared power with the PDP, to show results. Better results would strengthen the Congress in Jammu and Kashmir. Since the Congress shares power with the National Conference the Congress, once it retains power in the centre, would open the strings of its purse to enable the ruling coalition to carry out development works without burdening people with additional taxes.
Since the state Government plans to add 4590 MWs of power within next six years the ruling coalition needs full financial support from the centre to see work to begin on about a dozen major and mini power projects in the state,which includes 93 MWs new Ganderbal,450 MWs Bhagliar phase two,37.5 Parnai project,1200 MWs Sawalkote,690 MWs Rattle.1000 MWs Pakaldul. This can be possible if the centre earmarks a separate financial package for he construction of various power projects. The state would wish to see major projects come up either in the state sector or in collaboration with the NHPC. This way for political survival of the NC-Congress coalition in Jammu and Kashmir Farooq and others in the National Conference wish for the Congress to head the new central Government.
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