Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) President, Mehbooba Mufti today said the Assembly elections of 2014 have set the momentum for change in Jammu and Kashmir and the results of this momentous change will be visible on the ground soon. “People will soon see tangible transformation in every sector as several significant initiatives have been launched by the Government to address the issues of development and governance deficit in the State,” she said.
“The politics of deceit, exploitation and neglect practiced by the National Conference, all these years has reached its dead end and people have started looking towards the present government with lot of expectations,” Mehbooba said while addressing a day-long party workers’ convention here today.
“The most daring challenge for PDP is to be with the people, show solidarity with them and give them the much needed sense of security and relief on development front”, she said and added that the party is once again trying to build people’s stakes in peace and economic prosperity as was done by the then PDP-led Government after 2002 assembly elections.
“We are firm in our resolve to mark a new beginning and end the gloomy scenario of despair, alienation and development deficit, the state was pushed into due to the anti-people policies of the previous NC-Congress regime,” Mehbooba said and added that already various pioneering initiatives have been put in place to liberate the State and its people from the clutches of the vested interests patronized by the previous regime.“After going through the dark era of misgovernance, maladministration and corruption during the past six years, the people are now seeing the real use of public money where it ought to be used,” she said and added that new and sustainable infrastructure is being developed in almost all the critical sectors and the people at grassroots level have started acknowledging this transformation.
Mehbooba said one of the major challenges in Jammu and Kashmir is connectivity – the lack of it and the need for it. She said with the objective of improving intra-state connectivity, the Government has launched a major road upgradation programme including laying of new highways and roads and construction of tunnels on the existing roads. She said while pre-feasibility study for construction of tunnel on Mughal Road has already been started, the stretch from Bafliaz to Rajouri via Thannamandi is being made a part of the Mughal Road project to improve connectivity of the border district as also to Shahdra Sahrief.
Mehbooba said similarly various novel initiatives are being taken in education, health and rural development sectors to build new infrastructure in these key sectors and make best education, healthcare and other amenities available to the people at their doorstep.Complimenting PDP cadres for having successfully carried the party’s political and economic agenda to the grassroots level, Ms Mehbooba said the party cadres have sacrificed their personal interests for the larger objective of ensuring peace, prosperity and dignity for the State and its people.Responding to the demand of the locals, Ms Mehbooba said she would take up with the Government the matter regarding early completion of buildings for Degree Colleges at Buddal and Nowshehra and deployment of staff at Degree College Thannamandi. (CNS)