Stating that the people in Kashmir are suffering for want of basic amenities at a time when the world has taken a quantum leap in socio-economic development, infrastructure building and technology, the CPI (M) State Secretary Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami has appealed all political parties in the state to ponder over the shortcomings that have further eroded the credibility of political process in Jammu and Kashmir.
Addressing a party convention at Imam Saheb in district Shopian today, the CPI (M) leader stressed for the need to have a broader political platform in Kashmir as the people want to give vent to their sufferings and at the same, want justice to be done. The function was presided over by CPI (M) senior leader Ghulam Rasool Ganaie. The shrinking political space for the people particularly the younger generation is worrisome and need of the hour is to respond to their socio economic and political needs, he added.The CPI (M) leader said there are hardly any visible changes on ground vis-à-vis development and infrastructure building and the sky-touching promises that have been made often by the successive governments in the state are yet to be fulfilled. Expressing displeasure over dismal developmental scenario in the state, Tarigami while referring to some media reports said state government has failed to go beyond 45 percent expenditure of the Rs 7300 crore annual plan for 2012-13 during the three quarters of the last fiscal. He also rued that with the incompetence of administration in Jammu and Kashmir, the government of India has reportedly withheld Rs 700 crore funding for the state under the Prime Minister’s Reconstruction Plan (PMRP), citing failure of the departments to submit Utilization Certificates in time.Expressing anguish over the increasing graph of unemployment, CPI (M) State Secretary urged upon the state government to initiate measures for creation of ample jobs for the unemployed youth, revival of Public Sector Units and promotion of primary sectors could be helpful in this regard. He said that the announcement of over 70,000 jobs should be given a practical shape and likewise job assurances should be made for un-skilled manpower. He lamented that on one side the government shows its helplessness to engage daily wagers, casual labourers and other need based workers and at the same time re-employ officers without any utility. The fourth extension granted to the former director archives is an eye opener in this regard. On the one hand the department concerned is reluctant to provide funds for watch and ward of essential monuments and on the other, officers are being granted extensions after extension.
Addressing the gathering senior CPI (M) leader Ghulam Nabi Malik observed that it seems the government apathy in Shopian has crossed the limits as the district being famous for the quality apple production sans the required marketing infrastructure and facilities like cold storage, grading and packing. Similarly the district, despite being vast in size and population, is comprised of almost only tehsil and a block. In absence of new administrative units, the people not only suffer to the hilt but have not reaped the benefits of many important schemes. Blaming the successive governments for neglecting the district, the CPI (M) leader said the poor condition of roads and bridges, inadequate road connectivity, absence of proper healthcare facilities, lack of proper educational infrastructure, unemployment of educated youth, frequent breakdown of electricity, lack of safe drinking water facility and non-availability of essential commodities across the district bear witness to the hollowness of claims of development of the area by the administration. It seems that the political ineptitude coupled with administrative inertia have eaten into vitals of the successive governments in Jammu and Kashmir.Referring to manifold increase in power tariff, the CPI (M) leader advised the government to take ground realities into the consideration and review its anti-people decisions taken in recent past. Power position in rural areas continues to be grim and far from satisfactory. People long for few hours hassle free electricity, he affirmed and said that the low power voltage reminds of the proverbial glowworm in a dark night. Let the government plug transmission and distribution losses, which he said, is mainly responsible for the shortfall in the revenue realization. He said the government has received hundreds of crores as Power Reform Grants for reducing Transmission and Distribution losses from the Center but the department has not achieved any significant progress on this account so far.The meeting adopted a resolution demanding a tehsil and a block for district Shopian. The CPI (M) leaders also demanded a special package of funds be provided for the development of Shopian district, a separate block and a sub district hospital for Wachi constituency, cold storage, modern grading facilities for apple growers of the district, incentives and inputs be provided to the farmers and fruit growers of the area to which they are entitled under various schemes and exemption of interest on loans to the fruit growers.