Fayaz Bukhari
SRINAGAR, May 5: Chief Minister, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, today said people must have patience as it would take time to put the system back on track.
Mufti while addressing a press conference after the re-opening of Civil Secretariat and other move offices in Srinagar this morning said: “The Coalition Government has just completed two months but some people feel it has been years. The system has to be set right, it cannot happen overnight. It will take time… Give us some breathing space.”
The Chief Minister said that his Government is facing many challenges and top priority is to rehabilitate people whose houses were damaged, rebuild infrastructure and roads damaged in last year’s floods. “We are also focusing on revival of tourism in the State so that people associated with this trade earn their livelihood,” he said.
Mufti said that his Government is trying to re-create environment of peace. “Peace is on top of our agenda”, he said.
Chief Minister said that tackling unemployment of educated youth is also a major focus area of the Government. “We want the youth of the State to be employed but whatever vacancies we have, will be filled up in a transparent manner through a perfect system. You would not have seen such a system anywhere in the country just like we have system for selection of IAS, KAS and Entrance Test for Medical and Engineering Courses,” he said.
On the charges leveled by opposition parties Congress and National Conference of failure of his Government, Mufti said: “I do not want to dig into the past. I want to go forward. They were there for nine years. We are here only since two months. Give us some time.” He said that his Government will provide good governance to the people but it is a time consuming process.
When asked about the arrest of Hurriyat Conference leader, Masrat Alam, under BJP pressure, Chief Minister said there was no pressure and certain things are unacceptable. “No pressure. It were his deeds.
Some positions are acceptable. Those who are responsible, that is unacceptable,” he said referring to the hoisting of Pakistani flags and chanting of pro-Pak slogans during a Hurriyat rally last month.
Earlier, Mufti attended his office in the Civil Secretariat this morning and on his arrival, he was accorded Guard of Honour by a contingent of the Jammu and Kashmir Police.
The Civil Secretariat and other moving offices opened here today after the Annual Durbar Move from Jammu. The Council of Ministers, Chief Secretary, Administrative Secretaries, other senior officers, besides employees of the Civil Secretariat welcomed the Chief Minister. The presidents and other office-bearers of Civil Secretariat, Non-Gazetted Employees Union and Low Paid Employees Union presented bouquets to the Chief Minister and greeted him on the first day of opening of Move offices here.
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