Excelsior Correspondent
BANIHAL, Oct 29: Expressing confidence that the people of Chenab valley will vote decisively and wisely in favour of Congress Party, Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha and former Union Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad today said that the voice which will rise from this region will become the voice of the people of the State.
Addressing public meetings at Ukheral and Khari in Banihal today Mr Azad said, “This is a historic opportunity for the people of Chenab valley to assert themselves and retain their importance in the political landscape of the State. 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 them with dedication and humility”.
Azad 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 Party 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 not allow exploitative forces to dilute its improved political status.
Cautioning the people to beware of those forces which want to divide 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.
Taking a dig on the political parties that actually divide and polarize 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”.
Recalling the efforts made by Congress 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.
Congratulating the people on the creation of new administrative units, Azad said that recently created new administrative units at the level of sub-division, 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 Party, 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 Baglihar Project were got completed and inaugurated by Prime Minister, in addition to taking up of Nimo Bazgo and Chutak Power Projects. He said 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. 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 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.
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