Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, May 7: Opposition National Conference (NC) working president, Omar Abdullah, today took a jibe at Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti and asked her to come clean over the issue of proposal of establishing Sainik Colony in Kashmir Valley for the ex-servicemen.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a party function at Baramulla in North Kashmir, the former Chief Minister strongly opposed the settlement of non-State subjects in the proposed colony but quickly added that he has no objections if only State-subjects would be settled there.
Taking a jibe at Mehbooba Mufti, Omar said: “On every issue including Sainik Colony, the Chief Minister says ‘I don’t know’. This ‘I don’t know’ is her defence on every issue. How can you run the State on ‘I don’t know’? We want answer from Government over Sainik Colony.”
“We want to know that for whom this Sainik Colony is being proposed? In whose hands the land ownership would lie? If you are transferring the land ownership to Sainik Board then what is the guarantee that the allotees’ would be State subjects only and resale would not be for non-State subjects?”
Earlier, while addressing his party workers, the NC working president said the State has paid huge price in 2008 over the issue of land and urged Mehbooba to look into this grave issue instead of holding meetings with regard to traffic management.
“In 2008, you allotted the land (to Amarnath Shrine Board) and it was your Minister and the then local MLA (Qazi Afzal) who along with others were involved. That time you gave land, then retained back and set this State on fire. Today the questions which are arising on Sainik Colony should be answered (by you),” he said.
The NC working president criticized Mehbooba-led Government and said “there is no one with experience” in her cabinet except Forest Minister Lal Singh. “…In this entire Cabinet only one Minister has previously been the Cabinet Minister and that is BJP’s Lal Singh. Rest from Chief Minister to other ministers, none have attended the cabinet meetings earlier and that is why Chief Minister says I don’t know because there is no one to tell her,” he added.
Omar said the situation in State is appalling and alleged that the Government is sleeping. “The youths are worried over employment as there are no avenues. The contractors are worried as there is no clue of payments, Government employees are worried as there is no clue of salaries and the daily-wagers are worried as there is no clue of regularization,” he said.
Referring to the ongoing row over NEET, Omar said: “Our students are worried because they have no clue about medical college entrance exam. Ours was the lone State which had reservation of 50 percent for our daughters but Supreme also banned it and the Government is sleeping and today they are saying we were waiting for decision. How does it make sense?”
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