Assuring to formulate a comprehensive and exclusive vision document for the socio-economic growth the Chenab Valley region, People Democratic Party (PDP) today promised to remove backwardness and underdevelopment of this region.Party observed that Chenab Valley region lacks development in every sphere of life be it health, education or road connectivity and there is a need to implement a comprehensive plan for the overall growth of this region.Addressing one day convention of party workers at Doda today, Member Parliament (MP) from Srinagar segment, Tariq Hamid Karra assured that backwardness and underdevelopment of this region would be removed by implementing a comprehensive action plan.He said that Chenab Valley is economically as well as strategically important region in the whole sub-continent due to availability of huge natural resources in the form of water and forest in this belt.
He, however, regretted that instead of improving socio-economic conditions of the local people of Chenab Valley, the exploitation of water and forest resources has resulted into ecological degradation and destabilization of geological features and a disruption in peaceful lives of common citizens. Exhorting party workers to agitate for their genuine demands, Mr Karra demanded that locals should be given priority in the new hydro-electric projects and other developmental activities going on in this belt. “Instead of appointing locals on small petty jobs, the agencies engaged in executing the hydro-electric projects must open training centres here to train the local unemployed youth so as to engage them on technical and skilled jobs”, he demanded, adding, “employment opportunities for locals must be created while constructing hydro-electric projects in this belt.Reminding people about comprehensive steps taken during the tenure of Mufti Mohammad Sayeed as Chief Minister of the State, Mr Karra reminded the gathering that to explore the tourism potential in the Chenab Valley, the previous regime had constituted tourism developmental authorities for different regions. He further mentioned towards the comprehensive plan which was formulated for promotion of tourism in Chenab Valley region during PDP led coalition regime.Speaking on the occasion, Leader of Opposition in Legislative Assembly, Abdul Rehman Veeri blamed successive National Conference regimes for the backwardness of Chenab Valley region.
Referring to the acute backwardness of the Chenab Valley region Mr Veeri said that while most parts of the country were benefited by the water flowing from it, the region itself was steeped in to darkness and backwardness. “Due to availability of natural resources Chenab Valley is the most important place in the whole sub-continent but this region remained neglected and ignored”, he maintained and said that successive National Conference regimes were responsible for the backwardness and underdevelopment of this region. “It was only during PDP led regime that the Chenab Valley region was brought on the map of development but after formation of the present Omar Abdullah led government all developmental projects have been stopped”, he said.Former Minister, Peer Mohammad Hussain in his address, highlighted various steps taken by the previous PDP led regime for the development of this region.Responding to the demands of the locals, Mr Hussain said that health and education sectors were totally defunct in this region.Arsahd Malik, PDP candidate for Doda assembly segment, Shahbul Haq Bhat, Riyaz Mintoo and others also spoke on the occasion.