Excelsior Correspondent
RAMBAN, July 1: Rejecting the false campaign and propagandists, Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah who is also working president National Conference today said that the opponents will not be able to erase the historic role National Conference (NC) has played all along even during challenging times to uphold the people’s cause and seek political and economic stability for Jammu and Kashmir.
“It was the National Conference in the past and it is the National Conference at present which is lucidly and confidently clear about the political addressing of Kashmir imbroglio, creating necessary thaw in Indo-Pak relation and making the ‘table’ only means to settle all issues”, he said, adding that friendly Indo-Pak relation has been the benchmark of the National Conference’s political discourse and it will continue to be the centre pillar in NC’s political viewpoint.
Addressing party workers’ conventions at Neel, Kastigarh, Razgarh and Ukral in Banihal and Ramban Assembly Constituencies today, Omar Abdullah asserted that NC will continue its march to achieving the goal of political and economic stability in the State.
He said that NC is not the creation of any ‘Agency’ its dictation, its command and its strength is the common people of Jammu and Kashmir. “Our Headquarter is the people of the State and we take only their dictation and command”, he said maintaining that power has never been the goal of National Conference. He said NC is not like other parties who change their minds and views with the changing winds to grab power.
The working president National Conference said that NC is the fortress of common people of all shades and its strength lies in the faith and support of people from grass roots. While referring to the induction of some elements with charges of corruption in the PDP party fold and allotting them tickets to contest forthcoming Assembly elections, he said that this clearly explains volumes about the agenda and approach of PDP vis-a-vis governance. He asked the people to seek information about conducts of these persons under Right to Information Act, it will be amply known to you how much charges of corruption and misconduct are pending against them. “If such persons God forbid, come to power what would be the condition of the State”, he asked.
“We cannot be browbeaten by money and mussel power. We have withstood successfully all such challenges in the past and will do it again in future”, he said and referred to the conspiracy under which the elected Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah in 1953 and elected Chief Minister Dr. Farooq Abdullah in 1984 were removed.
He also referred to the sacrifices and hardships faced by thousands of National Conference workers during the militancy and said that like in past the National Conference will again surpass the difficulties and onslaughts and emerge as victorious as ever. He expressed confidence that the people across the State would read between the lines and scuttle the conspiracy being hatched against them and the State.
“You have to rise to the occasion and teach a befitting lesson to the power hungry politicians who have sold the honour and rights of the people in the past and are out to do so now to satisfy their lust to be in power”, he told the National Conference workers asking them to remind the people of the sincere service NC and its leadership has always rendered to them all across the State equating it with the worship.
Referring to the historic and path braking decisions taken by his Government during the last over five years on peace and development fronts, to empower people, bring transparency and make public service delivery a time bound duty of the administration, Omar Abdullah said that these glaring achievements cannot be played down by the propaganda of power greedy elements as these are documented and historic memorabilia.
“You cannot belittle the stupendous achievements of the Government made to give common masses the power to scan every function of the Government and be legally empowered to receive public services in a time bound manner”, he told to the detractors of National Conference adding that his Government has transformed the Governance concept by making common man master of the situation.
Omar said that people are witness to the holding of Panchayat elections in the State by the Coalition Government after a long period of over 30 years despite the apprehensions and fears speculated by those who are now attempting to hoodwink people and divert their attention from the services rendered by the Government to them on all fronts. He also mentioned the historic decision of his Government with regard to establishment of hundreds of new administrative units all across the State to enhance the access of people to the administration for redressal of grievances and implementation of development schemes.
“It were we, who enacted Public Services Guarantee Act (PSGA) making as many as 80 services legally bound to be delivered in fixed time limits as also making provision in the Act to impose fine of Rs. 5000 on the official who delays or fails in giving the particular services to the person seeking that service”, he said adding that various leaders in the country are still struggling to have a similar kind of Act at the Central level. He said that his Government also constituted State Right to Information Commission, State Vigilance Commission, Re-constituted Accountability Commission, introduced Third Party Independent Monitoring of development projects, e-tendering of works and e-procurement of material for Government projects giving a new meaning to the transparency and monitoring systems.
Omar also referred to the new direction given to power sector by his Government and said that the initiatives taken to make the State self-reliance in power generation is yet another historic gift given by the Coalition Government to the people of the State. “This measure will not only help to provide 24×7 power supply to the people in the State but make Jammu and Kashmir financial so healthy that it would fund its developmental projects from its own kitty. He said as against setting up of 750 MW capacity power projects in the State from 1947 to 2008 including that of 450 MW Baglihar-I, launched in Dr. Farooq’s regime, his Government has started power projects with a capacity of about 1600 MWs in just five years.
Provincial president Jammu National Conference, Devender Singh Rana, former Legislator Dr. Chaman Lal and NC local leader Sajjad Shaheen also addressed the conventions.
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