Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, June 15: Vice-president of the All India Congress Committee (AICC), Rahul Gandhi today said that performance of the Congress Ministers in Jammu and Kashmir is being continuously monitored by the party high command and the same would form basis for giving mandate during the next Assembly elections in the State.
Mr Gandhi, while chairing Congress Ministers’ meeting at Nehru Guest House at Srinagar soon after his arrival at summer capital of the State, observed that majority of the Congress Ministers were focusing only in their constituencies.
The meeting was attended by Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Union Minister for Rural Development, Jairam Ramesh, AICC Incharge J&K Affairs, Mohan Prakash and Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee president, Prof Saif-ud-Din Soz. Minister for Medical Education and Youth Services, Taj Mohi-ud-Din, Minister for Urban Development, Nawang Rigjin Jora and Minister for R&B, Abdul Majid Wani could not attend the meeting as they were in their respective constituencies to take stock of the people’s problems.
“It has been observed by the party high command that ever since the formation of the Coalition Government in Jammu and Kashmir majority of the party Ministers have been focusing in their constituencies only”, party sources said quoting Mr Gandhi as having stated in the meeting.
Sources said, “the AICC vice-president told the party Ministers that instead of becoming constituency specific Ministers they should behave like Ministers for the entire State and focus on those areas where the party has the potential to emerge winners during the forthcoming elections in Jammu and Kashmir”.
“Your performance is being closely watched by the party high command. You should keep in mind that mandate during the next Assembly elections would be given on the basis of your performance as such you should leave no stone unturned to come up to the expectations of the party high command”, sources said further quoting Mr Gandhi’s remarks made in the meeting.
Mr Gandhi also directed them to apprise the people of the programme and policies of the Congress party as well as Centrally sponsored schemes so that common masses could come to know about the exemplary initiatives taken by the Congress-led UPA Government for their overall development, sources said.
He also took appraisal from the party Ministers about the status of implementation of Centrally sponsored schemes in the State and shortcomings if any so that corrective measures could be taken well in time to provide intended benefits to the people.
According to the sources, Jammu-based Ministers sought the intervention of the party high command for bringing an end to the discrimination with the region in certain quarters. “The Ministers stressed that coalition partner should be asked to immediately take steps for further strengthening of grass root level democratic institutions by setting up second and third tiers of the Panchayati Raj Institutions and holding elections to the Urban Local Bodies”, sources said.
“The Ministers even raised the issue of one time settlement of the refugees of 1947, 1965, 1971 and West Pakistan and stressed that these refugees should be provided justice without any further delay”, party sources said, adding “it was also brought to the notice of Mr Gandhi that genuine problems of the refugees have also been brought to the notice of the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh and the steps should be taken by the party high command to get the issues of refugees resolved at the earliest”.
The Congress Ministers also highlighted the issues of unemployment, National Youth Corps volunteers, scheduled tribe status to Pahari speaking people before the AICC vice-president”, sources said, adding “some Ministers even raised the issue of ration being provided on the basis of 2001 census instead of 2011 census and poor road connectivity in far off areas while as others sought further progress on Jammu-Poonch rail line, the survey for which has already been conducted”.
Later, the AICC vice-president visited the party headquarters and told the workers to work towards strengthening the party ahead of elections.
At the party headquarters, Pradesh Youth Congress activists led by vice-president Pranav Shagotra, general secretary Abid Kashmiri and Lok Sabha presidents Satish Sharma, Naseer Mir and Aamir Rasool accorded warm welcome to AICC vice-president.
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