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| Counterpoise To Jammu's Just Aspirations | | vKashmiris say valley is ignored, demand Special Task Force | | NEHA
EARLY TIMES REPORT
JAMMU, Dec 27: Resentment is brewing in Kashmir over the Union Government September 25 decision to set up two Special Task Forces, one each for Jammu and Ladakh, so that the developmental needs of these two provinces are identified and addressed. Some influential people in the Valley have, in fact, bemoaned the Union Government's decision, saying it has "overlooked" Kashmir, which has witnessed "little growth in the past two decades. " They have described the Union Government's decision as "surprising."
According to those who have criticized the decision of the Union Government on the ground that New Delhi has excluded the "underdeveloped" Kashmir Valley, the authorities have accorded a preferential treatment to the already developed Jammu province and such a discriminatory attitude would further cause alienation in Kashmir.
What exactly have the votary of Special Task Force for Kashmir said in support of their demand? They have said that the "leaked reports from the State Finance Commission have clearly highlighted that the Valley was as backward in different sectors as any other region"; that the "development scenario is even worse in some pivotal sectors in the Kashmir province if statistics are any indication"; that "Kashmir has a very poor infrastructure in terms of road connectivity and flyovers, besides infra-structural needs"; that "in agriculture, average size of land holding in Kashmir is less than 0.4 hectares compared to Jammu's 0.7 hectares"; that "there is a grave crisis in Kashmir as far as agriculture produce and dependence on the sector is concerned"; that since "Kashmir has limited options in agriculture sector, people are pushed to explore new options, which are limited, and the result is unemployment"; that "because of feasibility, various industries, including textile, steel, pharmacy and consumer goods, have come up in Jammu"; that "due to lack of planning and investment in industrial sector by the state government, Kashmir has lagged behind in the industrial sector"; that "Kashmir has grown as a market for Jammu-based industries"; that the "two-decade-long political turmoil in the Valley has severely hit the construction sector"; that "be it construction of roads, bridges or flyovers, the Valley has figured at the bottom"; that "even the urban growth has been limited in the Kashmir Valley"; that "we are not against the development in any region but the scenario is altogether different in Jammu"; that "in the service sector, the Valley's share in the Gazetted services has fallen to 37 per cent"; that the "backbone of the Kashmir economy is tourism, but the Valley is not receiving even 25 per cent of the tourists compared to the influx prior to 1990s"; that the "pilgrimage tourism in Jammu province has increased from 35 lakhs to 90 lakhs"; that "of the total population, Kashmir represents 54 per cent, while Jammu region has 43 per cent, but the per capita income in Jammu has grown to Rs 786 while as the figures have fallen to Rs 670 in Kashmir"; that the "per capita expenditure in Jammu province is Rs 250 more than Kashmir"; and that "despite these facts the Valley was ignored time and again when it came to giving impetus to development." (To be concluded) |
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