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| CM announces general amnesty to stone pelters | | ‘Only 35 persons in jails under PSA’ | | EARLY TIMES REPORT
Srinagar, Aug 28 (KNS): Chief Minister Omar Abdullah Sunday announced general amnesty for youths involved in last year’s stone-pelting cases.
Addressing media at SKICC here, Omar said, “We have decided to give the youths a second chance. Cases against all the youths arrested on charges of stone-pelting, but not involved in arson, registered during last year’s disturbance will be withdrawn.”
“The Government would withdraw the cases against them to provide an opportunity to be responsible persons and lead a normal life”, Omar said adding that those who exploited these youth for vested interests and put a question mark on their future used and threw them. “They do not talk about them but are interested in the release of their jailed friends and even threaten agitation for that. But Government is concerned about these young men and want them to get pardoned for the wrong they have committed as ignorant to safeguard their future,” he said asserting that the amnesty would be available to them as a onetime opportunity with the cutting date of today.
“In order to remove the stigma on the character and behaviour of these youth for being involved in stone pelting and enable them to seek employment and carry on normal life process, we decided to give them a onetime general amnesty with the stipulation that they would not indulge in such activities again”, he said reiterating that this amnesty is only a onetime dispensation which cannot be repeated any more.
The Chief Minister said that about 1200 young men would be benefited by this goodwill gesture of the Government who were apprehended for stone pelting and are presently out on bail. He advised those who have evaded the arrest and are hiding, to submit before the police, obtain bail and get the benefit of the general amnesty otherwise their cases will remain as they are. He asked the parents of these youth to counsel them to be responsible persons in future and not to get exploited anymore by anyone.
In another declaration, the Chief Minister announced transfer of powers to the Panchayats adding that the order about the same would be issued today. “We had promised the transfer of powers to sarpanches and panches and we have fulfilled it”, he said that under the first installment numerous powers in various sectors have been entrusted to the Panchayats which shall be exercised by them from the 1st September this year. “Many apprehensions had been created by certain elements in the minds of sarpanches and panches with regard to the transfer of powers but today in this press conference I announce the first instalment of powers to the Panchayats removing all such speculations in this regard”, he said and read out the powers and functions Panchayats would exercise.
The Chief Minster said that transfer of more powers to the Panchayats would be deliberated by the Cabinet and subsequently by the Legislature to make these institutions more effective and powerful. He said that Planning and Rural Development Departments are jointly working for transfer of financial powers to the Panchayats. “We are working for placing some untied funds at the disposal of each Panchayat like that of CDF”, he added.
The Panchayats are also empowered with regard to regulations of buildings, shops, entertainment houses, checking of offensive or dangerous trades, construction and maintenance of slaughter houses, regulation of sale and preservation of meat and processing of skins and hides, regulation of sale and preservation of fish, vegetables and other perishable articles of food, regulation of fairs and festivals.
The Panchayats would exercise the powers of preparation and implementation of special development plans for alleviating poverty and employment generation through Integrated Rural Development Pprogramme, National Rural Employment Programme, Rural Landless Employment Guarantee Programme and housing of Scheduled Castes and Backward Classes.
Planning and implementation of Indira Awas Yojana; Integrated Social Security Scheme; Integrated Child Development Scheme; Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme; National Family Benefit Scheme; Indira Gandhi National Disabled Persons Scheme; Indira Gandhi National Widow Pension Scheme; Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act; National Rural Livelihood Mission; Swaranjyanti Grameen Sevarozgar Self Yojana; Total Sanitation Campaign; Identification of BPL beneficiaries for subsidized ration (AAY); and Mid Day Meal Programme will be under overall supervision of Halqa Panchayats.
In reply to a question, Omar said that Panchayat members would be given training through the Government agencies and the NGOs expert in this field to enhance their capacity to run the Panchayats and exercise powers purposefully and successfully. “I have interacted with Panchayat members in some 40 Assembly Constituencies and found them capable enough to shoulder responsibilities being entrusted to them”, he said.
In reply to another question, the Chief Minister set aside all apprehensions about the Kishanganga Hydel Project stating that both parts of Jammu and Kashmir across LoC want to take the advantage of Kishanganga known as ‘Neelam’ in PoK, and the part which builds the project first would get best benefits. “It is for this reason that the Governments in PoK and Pakistan want us to delay the project”, he said adding that under the Indus Water Treaty they have lost the case and, as such, are trying their best to get us delay the project of Kishanganga showing no concern for the people of Kashmir for whom the project is with full of promises in the power sector.
The Chief Minister said that all care has been taken about the safeguards of the population and tribes of Gurez while formulating and modifying the Kishanganga hydel project. “There is no threat to the existence of any tribe”, he said adding that the environment impact analysis of the project has not indicated any flood like situation in Wullar by this project as it has much more capacity to absorb the water flows. |
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