People harbingers of change in state, says Chief Minister

Tribune News Service

Jammu, March 30

Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed today credited people for being the harbingers of change in the state by participating in the elections. 

Mufti said those people who were involved in strengthening democracy had brought peace to the state. He was replying on demands of grants of departments under his control, in the J&K Legislative Assembly here this afternoon.

“The Assembly is the real powerhouse and this time people knew it well and realised that democracy is the only way forward. They felt that there is no option except participating in the democratic process, which will give them respect,” Mufti said.

“It should be a turning point in the history of the state. Some people outside present a gloomy picture of the state, which is not the real one. J&K is not a jail. Democracy has blossomed here,” he said.

He said the new PDP-BJP government would respect the mandate of the people and implement all its decisions mutually agreed upon in the “Agenda of the Alliance”.

The Chief Minister said his government would bring the administration right on the doorstep of the people by delegating powers to the officers in the field and weed out corruption from the administration.

Mufti said he would work for strengthening the constituency of peace by laying an edifice for strong police-public relations, institutions of probity, delegation of powers, a transparent transfer policy and making police receptive, which will set the tone of good governance for the next six years. 

Referring to the grants of the Home Department, the Chief Minister said the government would not lower the guard on the security front “in protecting our borders”. 

He commended the police, paramilitary forces and the Army for having done a commendable job in bringing peace to the state. He said the issue of doubling the stipend of Specials Police Officers from Rs 3,000 to Rs 6,000 per month had been taken up with the Union Home Ministry.

The Chief Minister said a three-phased relief and rehabilitation programme would begin next month. 

“In the first phase, we will work for restoration of livelihood for small businessmen and destitute with no insurance cover. In the second phase, the focus will be on private and public assets and clearance of liabilities. The third phase will address the restoration of public infrastructure,” he added.

Making a reference to the power sector, the Chief Minister said he would have the Dulhasti and Uri power projects transferred to the state as it is as much the test of our credibility as that of the Centre. 

“Whatsoever be the procedures, these power projects shall be transferred to the state,” he said. 

On employment, the Chief Minister said the educated unemployed youth would be provided gainful employment in the government sector by filling up all vacancies and absorbing the skilled educated unemployed youth in the private sector. 

“We will establish a training institute in the Chenab valley to provide training to skilled youth to increase their chances of employability, particularly in the power projects,” he added. 

Asking the administration to gear up to ensure probity in day-to-day working, the Chief Minister announced making the State Vigilance Commission and the State Accountability Commission effective regulatory tools of probity. 

On opening of IIT, IIM and AIIMs in J&K, Mufti said, “These are our institutions. No distinction should be made on the basis of region. This infrastructure is coming up in our state which belongs to us,” he said. 

The Chief Minister said the Union Government had agreed to make Mughal Road an alternative to the national highway. 

Describing the tourism sector as the backbone of the state’s economy, the CM said he would reboot the industry by taking a series of measures to put it back on the rails.

Referring to the NC-Congress government, Mufti said the decision to shift to the RBI as bankers of the state as against J&K Bank, which was the banker of the last resort for the government, was not a good decision.