National Conference on Thursday expressed grave concern over divisive elements taking centre-stage in a diverse state like Jammu and Kashmir, saying the machinations to distort its singular-entity will have serious ramifications. “The unity of the state is at stake, as deep rooted conspiracies are being hatched out to divide the regions by promoting divisiness on the basis of religion” Provincial President Devender Singh Rana said in a statement to KNS, while addressing senior party functionaries at Sher-e-Kashmir Bhavan here this morning.He said National Conference will foil all attempts of trifurcating the state and cautioned the PDP-BJP coalition to desist from any such misadventure that is fraught with danger of dismantling the time-tested secular fabric for which this sensitive state is known all over.
Rana charged the coalition partners of pursing a sinister and definite agenda of polarizing situation in the mistaken belief of diverting public attention from failures of the past over eight months. “The public disenchantment has reached the peak and the coalition partners better read the writing on wall”, he said adding that performance inertia has retarded the process of development initiated during the tenure of Omar Abdullah as Chief Minister. He said the priorities of the government have changed as it is focused on generating controversies rather than delivering on ground.Speaking on the occasion, former minister and senior state vice president Surjeet Singh Slathia expressed anguish over problems confronted to the people of Jammu and Kashmir which, he said, have accumulated due to abject failure of the PDP-BJP Government on all fronts.
Slathia observed that lack of direction and political will has left the wheels of administration haywire, as a consequence of which the people were suffering immensely. In this context, he referred to the dilapidated condition of road network, erratic water and power supply besides neglect in maintaining utility services that have enhanced the sufferings of people.Highlighting the core public issues, former minister and senior leader Ajay Kumar Sadhotra said the element of accountability at various levels in the government is terribly missing, as the administration is finding itself rudderless. He said the problems in rural and far off areas are accumulating with each passing day due to non-seriousness of the administrative machinery.Sadhotra said National Conference will agitate the gray areas in every forum in order to seek redressal to public grievances. He said the people have realized their mistake of handing over the reins of government to inexperienced and irrational elements who know nothing but dividing people by inciting passions.
Former Minister and State Vice President Syed Mushtaq Ahmed Bukhari referred to the lackadaisical attitude of the coalition government towards safeguarding the interests of reserved categories and sought immediate measures for ensuring their reservation in the promotions.Central Secretary Th Rachpal Singh castigated the coalition government for its anti-youth stance, saying the regressive policies of the PDP-BJP coalition have created unrest among the young people, who feel let down by the government.Speaking on the occasion, State Vice Presidents Rattan Lal Gupta and Th Kashmira Singh expressed dismay over developmental inertia of the coalition government and perpetual delays in release of salaries to various segments of employees and withholding the payments of contractors, which eventually impact the labour class directly.Those who spoke during the meeting included Brij Mohan Sharma, Provincial Youth National Conference President Ajaz Jan, Abdul Gani Teli, Jugal Mahajan and Anil Dhar. Among others present on the occasion included, Sheikh Bashir Ahmed, Bushan Lal Bhat, Choudhry Haroon, Israr Khan Dharamveer Singh Jamwal, Sajjad Shaheen, Vijay Lochan, K D Singh, M L Munshi and others. (KNS)