‘New Govt will be in place in J&K after delimitation’
Files load to come down in Darbar Move
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 31: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha today cautioned Pakistan that India has fourth strongest Army in the world and if it can tackle Galwan Valley like situation easily it can achieve anything and, in view of this, Pakistan should focus on its own citizens and give them COVID-19 vaccination instead of trying to fan trouble.
He also said that Parliament is the supreme body of the country where Home Minister (Amit Shah) has given an assurance that Assembly elections will be held in Jammu and Kashmir once the Delimitation Commission exercise is complete and none should have any reasons to doubt the assurance. However, he made it clear that final call on the elections has to be taken by the Election Commission.
In an interview to Zee Salaam news channel this evening, the Lieutenant Governor, while responding to a question on backchannel diplomacy with Pakistan, said: “I pray good sense prevails over Pakistan and they start focusing on their internal situation which is known the world over. They should care for their citizens including giving them COVID vaccine”.
He said Pakistan must know that India is fourth strongest Army in the world which has tackled Galwan Valley like situation without any problem. The Indian Army is capable of facing any kind of situation, he added.
Replying to a question on holding Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir, Sinha said the Prime Minister from the Red Fort and the Home Minister in the Parliament have promised that Assembly elections will be held after completion of the delimitation exercise.
“Now some people say that the Lieutenant Governor has to conduct elections but it is the Election Commission which has to take final call on the polls. The Election Commission also monitors the exercise for delimitation of Assembly constituencies. There will be an elected Government in Jammu and Kashmir (after the Commission completes its exercise),” he added.
On PDP president and former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti being denied passport and her charges against the agencies, the Lieutenant Governor said the organizations should be allowed to work independently.
“There was a CID report against her (Mehbooba). She approached the Court. Now she has indicated that she will knock doors of Higher Court. Whatever the Court says should be acceptable to all,” he asserted.
On Opposition charges against other agencies like Enforcement Directorate, Central Bureau of Investigations etc, Sinha rejected the allegations that the raids conducted by these agencies were “politically motivated”.
“We too were in Opposition. The investigating agencies act after evidence. Those facing raids have to come clean. The agencies should be allowed to do their job,” he said.
On bi-annual exercise of Durbar Move in Jammu and Kashmir, he said digitization and computerization of record will bring down numbers of files shifted from Jammu to Srinagar and then brought back after every six months.
“As against 200 trucks, ferrying the records, the numbers will come down significantly this time and will reduce further next time,” he disclosed.
On killing of two Councilors in Kashmir, Sinha said the security agencies are alert and they are engaged in taking action against the militants.
To a question on return of Kashmiri Pandits to the Valley, the Lieutenant Governor said within one month all 6000 houses for the migrants will be constructed while by June this year, their 6000 job vacancies will be filled. Tender for construction of 3265 houses has been issued, he added.
“Even the common man in Kashmir also wants the Kashmiri Pandits to return to their homes,” he asserted.
Sinha said Jammu and Kashmir is going to see massive infrastructural development across all sectors in the next one year.
He outlined the goal of establishing a responsive, citizen-centric administrative setup and accentuating the infrastructure across all sectors in the UT with special focus on connectivity, health and education sectors.
The Lt Governor said that the highest ever budget is envisaged for Jammu and Kashmir to make the UT a model of Development.
At Rs 1,08,621 crore, the budget surpasses all previous allocations and 37% of the earmarked Budget to be spent on development and infrastructure projects, he maintained.
The Lt Governor remarked that Jammu and Kashmir is the only region in our country which has IIT, IIM, two AIIMS and two Central Universities. Task force has been made to implement the New Education Policy. For revamping school education and promoting vocational courses, 607 vocational labs have been set up in schools across the UT. There has been a significant increase in the number of enrollment in government run schools and higher education institutes, he added.
“People of J&K are talented and have huge potential. They lacked platforms, which are now being made available to them. Keeping in view the developmental aspirations of the people of J&K and for providing smart transportation, Metro projects in Jammu and Srinagar cities will be completed in three years. Two IT towers, each in Jammu and Srinagar would come up in the next 16 months to develop the Information technology sector and to provide platforms to the young technological talents of the UT enabling them to work in the field of Artificial intelligence, Robotics, 3D printing, etc. We are also focusing on establishing facilities like data centres which are significant to meet modern times requirements,” Sinha maintained.
Replying to the question on establishing Dry Ports, Custom Clearance facilities and setting the target of Rs 5000 crore export, the Lt Governor said that all these steps are taken to give a boost to the Industrial sector in J&K. He further said that with the coming of the New Industry Development Scheme of Rs. 28,400 crore and long term incentives under the scheme, the Industry sector of the UT will see significant growth in the coming days.
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