Expressing confidence that the people of Chenab Valley will vote decisively and wisely in favour of Congress, Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha and former Chief Minister of J&K Ghulam Nabi Azad Wednesday said that the voice that will rise from this region will become the voice of the people of the State.He said that this is a historic opportunity for the people of Chenab Valley to assert themselves and retain their importance in the political landscape of Jammu & Kashmir“People of State in general and Chenab Valley in particular have always given me lot of love and affection and I have always tried my level best to serve the people with dedication and humility,” said Azad adding that they will again display enough political sagacity to sustain the momentum that infrastructure building, developmental process and decentralized governance have received with the emergence of Congress Party on the political scene of J&K after 2002.
Azad was speaking in public meetings at Khari and Ukerhal areas of Banihal Constituency.
He said that people of Chenab Valley fully realize the fact that political weight of the region came to be recognized after 2002 when they reposed faith and confidence in the Congress and developmental activities received major thrust in the area after 2005, and he is confident that people of this region will again vote very wisely and will not allow exploitative forces to dilute its improved political status and weightage.Cautioning the people to beware of those forces who want to pide the votes of people in order to further their own nefarious agenda, Azad exhorted the people to come out in huge numbers to vote for the Congress Party in the forthcoming Assembly elections and put the State on the new course of development and progress.Drawing attention towards the hollow slogans and exploitative machinations of the various political parties in the past decades, Azad asserted that people of Chenab Valley reaped the fruits of development in terms of increased road connectivity, better hospitals, tourism development authorities, augmented power generation and distribution network, new water supply schemes, urban infrastructure, schools, colleges, ITIs, Polytechnics, etc only after 2002 when Congress Party came to power in J&K.
He said that developmental process has reached the threshold of take off in Chenab Valley due to the persistent efforts of Congress Party and it will be set into the trajectory of sustained growth, higher prosperity and increased employment opportunities if again voted to power.“I promise a new era of progress, good governance and better employment opportunities for youth if people give mandate to Congress in the Assembly elections”, said Azad.Taking a dig on the political parties that actually pide and polarise the people on the ground while flaunting the mask of development and progress, Azad said that my credentials as a champion and votary of development are well established and that my only slogan as Chief Minister of J&K or Union Minister has been “development”.Urging the people to go with tested and sincere hands without getting misled by those who promise moon and have nothing to showcase, Azad said that no stone will be left unturned for the upliftment and welfare of the people of Chenab Valley, the way it has been done in the past.
Recalling the efforts made by Congress Party both at the Centre and State, Azad said that two significant gifts which Congress Party and UPA Government have given to J&K State are four laning of Jammu-Srinagar National Highway and railway project connecting Jammu-Katra-Banihal-Srinagar- Baramulla, and both these projects have brought transformation in the socio-economic profile of the people of Banihal.“On both these mega projects, work is going apace and once these are fully executed, economic status and lifestyle of the people will improve further in the entire State, with Banihal- Ramban being major beneficiaries,” said Azad.Reiterating the commitment of Congress to bringing governance closer to the people, Azad said that as Chief Minister he mustered the courage of touching the subject of creation of new Districts in the State which till then was considered as “hot potato” and people were endlessly made to pay heavy price for such indecision.Congratulating the people on the creation of new administrative units, Azad said that recently created new administrative units at the level of sub-pision, tehsils, blocks, niabats, etc are a sequel to the creation of new Districts to further reduce the gap between people and the administrative machinery.Asserting that Chenab Valley got highest number of new units only due to the pressure and persuasion of Congress, Azad informed the people that such decisions are not taken as a matter of charity and without the backing and support of political leadership, adding that in future also he will use his full capacity and capability to serve the people of the State and Chenab Valley with renewed zeal.Underlining the need to empower the Chenab Valley and further devolve the powers to bring the process of governance and development further closer to the people, Azad said that tough terrain and remoteness of the region call for the setting up of new and creative governance structure which can remove the deficit of development which this region has suffered before 2002.
“While we have created new districts and units in Chenab Valley for the comfort and convenience of people, in the next tenure my agenda will be creation of a new and creative governance structure matching the developmental needs of the region”, said Azad.Recalling his thrust on power sector, Azad said during his Chief Ministership long pending Dul Hasti Hydel Project and Baghliar Hydel Power Project were got completed and inaugurated by Prime Minister, in addition to taking up of Nimo Bazgo and Chutak Power Projects.He further said that International Tariff-Based Bidding was introduced first time in the State under his Chief Ministership for the Rattle Hydel Power Project, under which the terms and conditions have been extremely beneficial for the State.Asserting that setting up of Chenab Valley Power Projects Corporation (CVPPC) to harness the hydel power potential of the Chenab Valley was a landmark decision of his tenure as Chief Minister of J&K, Azad said that full potential of this institution will be reaped to set up new power projects in the region to create job opportunities for the youth and make J&K state a power-surplus State.
“Highest priority will be accorded to power generation in the scheme of governance if Congress Party will be voted to power”, said Azad
Referring to the huge potential of tourism sector in Chenab Valley, Azad said that no doubt steps have already been initiated ever since people have reposed faith in Congress Party and new Tourism Development Authorities have been established which are showing good results, however there is a need to make a ‘comprehensive and self-contained master plan’ for the entire Chenab Valley by utilizing the services of a reputed international consultancy and work out a tourism model best suited for the unique topography and cultural framework of the region. “I assure to make it a reality in the next tenure if we get the mandate of the people”, said Azad.