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Avtar Bhat
JAMMU, Nov 14: Maintaining that there will be a sea change after the thousands of students of Valley participate in their annual examinations, beginning from today, Minister of State in PMO with Independent charge of North Eastern States, Dr Jitendra Singh, today said the forces behind the Kashmir unrest who played with the career of the poor children have been fully exposed before the world now.
“Those who gave the continuous bandh calls in Valley and forced the closure of educational institutions after sending their own children to best schools in other parts of country and abroad have now been exposed fully”, Dr Singh told reporters at the sidelines of a meeting held in connection with DISHA at Institute of Engineers here today.
He said there is a lot of resentment among Valley youth against the double standards of the separatist leadership, who on the one hand are forcing the closure of schools in which the poor students seek education and on the other hand send their wards to best schools in other parts of country or abroad.
“We cannot wait for the last gun to fall silent, we have no time to waste at least for the children’s career and future,” he said, adding that it was a message to all those who tend to take the youth of the country for granted.
He said youth of Kashmir are now demanding that schools should open, examinations be conducted in time and their education should not hamper any more. This is a good sign as it will be a turning point in the situation in Valley, he added.
He said whatever be the cause, even if it is the holiest of the holy, for which the protest is being carried out, nobody has the right or prerogative to interfere or interrupt the career of children.
Dr Singh said that the Government was concerned about the academic career of the children and that with the co-operation of students and their parents, the examinations would be conducted smoothly.
On the Opposition’s widespread criticism about the Centre’s demonetisation move, the BJP leader said that the parties were devoid of issues and would never succeed to sway the people.
“…They (Opposition) will not succeed for the simple reason that the 130 crore people of this country are convinced with the sincerity, honesty and courage of conviction with which Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken this decision,” he said.
Dr Jitendra Singh said that any kind of allegation devoid of evidence did not merit a response.
“You would see the people are ready to go through certain amount of inconvenience during this transition period and they are whole heartedly welcoming the decision taken by the Prime Minister,” he added.
Earlier, addressing the meting of DISHA for Ramban district, Dr Singh grilled the officers for delaying the development projects after the two local MLAs Aijaz Ahmed Khan representing Gool Constituency and Neelam Langeh representing Ramban Assembly segment showed their total displeasure over the delaying of development projects under various schemes in the district.
The two MLAs took the officers to task for not consulting them while finalising the schemes and the money sanctioned for various schemes under MLAs CDF have also not been taken up in hand.
The two legislators said that the authorities are submitting the plan for 2016-17 when the liabilities of previous years have not been cleared.
Expressing his solidarity with the public representatives and justifying the issues raised by them the Union Minster grilled the administration and asked them that they should take the MLAs on board while finalising the developmental projects.
Dr Singh expressed his serious concern over the delay in submission of DPRs also and said it is main cause of hampering the development projects in the State.
While sharing the concern of the MLAs on shortage of doctors in trauma hospital Ramban, Dr Singh said that this problem is confronted in entire State due to lack of proper policy and planning. He said in States of Gujarat and Maharashtra similar problems were faced by Government but they brought a legislation making it mandatory for the doctors to perform two years rural service and in case any doctor skips it and resigns he has to pay penalty for that.
Such laws are needed to make the presence of doctors compulsory in rural areas in the State also, he added.
Dr Jitendra Singh asked officers to become proactive and adopt a work culture in official business to obtain better results.
The Minister sought detailed progress report on Central sponsored schemes like National Rural Drinking Water, Deen Dayal Upadhaya Scheme, Swachh Bharat, Sarav Shiksha Abhiyan, Mid Day Meal, Integrated Watershed Management Programme and Jan Dhan Yojna etc.
He also assured the officers that he will take up the construction of bridge over river Chenab at Ramban with BRO and asked the DC Ramban to remain in touch with the BRO Chief Engineer in this regard.
The legislators also expressed concern that the State Government was not releasing the State share in NHM and delay in releasing compensation for damaged houses and land acquired for construction of roads under PMGSY.
District Development Commissioner Ramban Mohammed Aijaz gave a feed back of various developmental schemes in the district during the meeting. Sanjeev Sharma PRO, Dr Jitendra Singh was also present in the meeting.
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