National Conference President Dr Farooq Abdullah on Friday expressed anguish over alleged brazen attempts of communalising bureaucracy by PDP-BJP combine, apprehending polarisation may lead to dismemberment of homogenous character of the Jammu and Kashmir state.“So long they (PDP-BJP) were dividing people on communal, cast, regional and sub-regional lines and now they have crossed limits of decency and prudence by communalising the administration, which has largely been neutral in character and people friendly in nature”, he said while addressing workers at Mandi in the border Poonch district this morning.Abdullah, accompanied by Provincial President Devender Singh Rana, is currently on a four-day tour of the border belt of Poonch and Rajouiri.
He alleged officers were being picked up to man key assignments not on the basis of their administrative acumen or suitability but taking their religious affiliations into consideration. “This is highly alarming trend, fraught with the danger of polarising the character of our apolitical administration”, he said and warned the coalition partners to desist from such sinister attempts.Dr Abdullah said the PDP-BJP coalition has failed to gauge public pulse and in order to divert the attention of masses from their dismal performance and abject failures; they were bringing the communities and the regions on eyeball to eyeball situation. “The state has never gone through a government which lacked basic administrative acumen and political will to take each segment of society along”, he observed.
Coming down heavily on the coalition, for its governance deficit, the National Conference President sought immediate roll back on the prices of diesel and petrol announced by the state government, saying the increase may further hit the common man, as the freight, fare and prices of essentials may go up. He wondered over the anti-people decision with regard to increase in the petroleum products prices, even as these were sharply shooting down in the international market and said the PDP-BJP alliance was taking sadistic pleasure in inflicting agonies to the poor people, who were already suffering due to inflation.He also referred to delay in providing already sanctioned solar lights among the targeted beneficiaries and indiscriminate charging of tariff to power subscribers. “There has to be rationalisation in the tariff structure and poor people cannot be made to pay even without availing of the facility”, he added.
Reiterating his support to agitating Rehbar-e-Taleem teachers, Dr Abdullah said their future cannot be jeopradised. He gave the background of devising this important scheme at a time when educational sector in the state was in total disarray due to disturbed conditions.Exhorting the party workers to get ready for meeting the big challenge confronted to the state, which he observed was passing through a most difficult phase, Dr Farooq Abdullah said National Conference cannot remain a mute spectator and watch helplessly people suffering on all counts. “As a responsible opposition, we will do our best and strived hard to seek fair dispensation to the people and compel the government to concentrate on development, which has taken nose dive during the past over five months”, he added.Provincial Youth National Conference President and former MLA Mr Ajaz Jan was among the prominent leaders who accompanied Dr Abdullah during his tour.Earlier, several delegations, party functionaries and locals met the NC President and apprised him of the problems of the area.