Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Nov 7: The Prime Minister’s Rs 80,000 crore package announced for the Jammu and Kashmir during his visit to the State today has invited mixed reaction from various political and other organizations.
Reacting to the announcement about of Rs 80,000 crore package by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, PCC chief GA Mir has said that it was a mere eye- wash and a political gimmick to appease his coalition partner in J&K. Mir castigated Prime Minister for announcing ambiguous package and termed about Rs 8000 (7854 cr) crore as flood relief package against Rs 44000 crores as a cruel joke. He said it amounts to adding salt to the injuries of flood victims.
Hitting out at Modi for playing a political gimmick with the people of J&K, PCC chief said that from the day one Congress Party has been saying that Modi- led Govt as expected was not going to address issues of flood victims. He said Prime Minister failed to announce much talked about peace initiative. Mir said Rs 34,000 crore package for National Highway stands already approved by UPA Govt and the funds for Mega Projects can’t be linked with the package for the fact these were already part of UPA Govt’s developmental plan.
Reacting to the visit of Prime Minister and his announcement of package of Rs 80,000 crore for the State, PCC chief spokesman Ravinder Sharma said that it is being understood that the total cost of several ongoing projects and other approved projects by the UPA Govt have been ‘packaged’ to sum up the figures. He said that the further details and breakup of the package would clearly demonstrate the real picture in this regard.
He regretted that Mr Modi failed to refer to the prevailing situations in the State especially in Kashmir Valley and the continued cease fire violations by Pakistan on the LoC and borders and incidents of infiltrations from Pakistan leading to numerous causalities and frequent migration of border residents in the state. He has forgotten the promises with people of the State to restore peace and calm in the borders and tell Pakistan to stop innocent killings in the State.
All Jammu and Kashmir Panchayat Conference (AJKPC) expressed deep gratitude to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed for showing keen interest in empowerment of Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) in Jammu and Kashmir.
The AJKPC, an organisation of 33,000 elected Sarpanchs and Panchs, said both the Prime Minister and the Chief Minister, in their public statements at Sher-e-Kashmir Stadium in Srinagar, laid thrust on strengthening and empowering PRIs for progressive and inclusive development of the state. All the elected Panchayat members are highly grateful to the Prime Minister and Chief Minister for showing keen interest in implementation of 3-tier Panchayati Raj System in Jammu and Kashmir at par with other parts of the country, the AJKPC leader said, adding, “The Prime Minister has favoured the involvement of Panchayat members in decision-making process which would not only ensure transparency and fairness in the system but also give a new pace to development projects across the state”.
AJKPC leader also congratulated the Prime Minister for the announcement of such a huge amount of Rs 80,000 crore for the State and hoped that optimum utilization of these funds would give new boost to the state economy and bring employment avenues for the unemployed youth of the State.
Senior CPI (M) leader and MLA Kulgam Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami has described Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Kashmir visit as far behind the expectations raised by the PDP-BJP coalition Government. Tarigami said while overall development including mitigating peoples’ hardships and reconstruction after floods is important, it was imperative that the political aspect of problem should have been the focus of Prime Minister’s visit.
”It was disheartening that the Prime Minister did not even touch political dimension of Kashmir issue. It was also expected that the Prime Minister will at least refer to the opening of the stalled dialogue between India and Pakistan, as the growing hostilities between the two countries and tension on borders is directly affecting lives of the people in the State, “ he added.
Panun Kashmir has terms PM Modi’s visit a failure and disappointment. It said that Panun Kashmir says Modi is implementing the Vajpayee line of Insaniyat, Jhamhooriyat and Kashmiriyat.
Vijay Bhat, president of the KP organization further said that Modi has proved that there is premium on separatism and humiliation for nationalism in Jammu and Kashmir by announcing Kashmir centric Rs 80,000 cr package. He said separate homeland demand of KPs has been vindicated by flawed policy of Modi on Jamu and Kashmir.
Commenting on the package announced by PM he said by announcing Kashmir centric package of Rs 80,000 is humiliation to nationalist minority of Kashmiri Pandits who are living in forced exodus imposed by communal majority of Kashmir. The PM has sidelined genocide and religious cleansing of the Kashmiri Pandit community and in a sense given clean chit to the society that is fully communalized after demographic change due to the religious cleansing of KPs in 1990, Mr Bhat added.
All State Kashmiri Pandit Conference president Ravinder Raina while reacting to the announcement of package by PM, expressed resentment and expressed that Mr Modi did not utter a word in favour of displaced Kashmiri Pandits in his Kashmir address. He said that KPs pinned hope that the PM should have taken bold decision inannouncing the rehabilitation of KPs as per their wishes. It is unfortunate that in Rs 80,000 cr package there was no mention of the displaced Kashmir Pandits. It shows that Govt of India has taken KP migrants as far granted, he added.
JK-R47, a Pakistan occupied Kashmir refuges organization in meeting held today at Udhampur under the leadership of Suman Kapoor, hailed the Prime Minister Narendra Modi for announcing special package of Rs 80,000 crore for the development of Jammu and Kashmir State at the end of his rally at Sher-e-Kashmir Stadium in Srinagar and Rs 25 lakh per family of PoK 1947 refuges as final settlement.
While addressing the meeting Mr Kapoor expressed that government has fulfilled the long pending demand of refugees for final payment. He said that JK-R47 organization is struggling for the cause of refugees from Muzaffarabad, Mirpur and Kotli. He pleaded for provision of reservation for the children of refugees.
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