Fayaz Bukhari
Budgam, June 15: The vice president of the All India Congress Committee (AICC), Rahul Gandhi today said that his party’s future alliance with the National Conference in the State will be decided by the party high command.
While interacting with the media persons on the sidelines of the launch of UMEED, Women’s Empowerment Project, in the State at Central Kashmir district of Budgam, Rahul said: “These are the matters that are not for me to discuss. These are the matters which have to be discussed within the party. So far the coalition has a healthy constructive relationship with each other and they are so far working together in the State in coalition”.
The Congress leader said that he will not share his personnel views on the future alliance with National Conference in front of media. “As a party general secretary, I have a view on future coalition with the NC. I will express my views in front of my party leadership. There are certain things which are personnel to the organizations. I have also a view and I will present my viewpoint to my leadership and not in front of media,” he said.
Rahul declined to comment on the issue of the revocation of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) from the State and said that the revocation of the Act is between Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah. “There is an ongoing discussion between Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh on repealing of AFSPA and it would not be appropriate for me to make any statement on the issue,” he said.
On change of Government in Pakistan, Rahul said that any change in the situation in State was not dependent on change of Government in Pakistan. “Frankly, the way I look at it is that the real change has to come from within. We cannot be dependent on what is going on in the rest of the world. ”
Rahul said that the Centre’s focus was on finding ways to involve people of Kashmir in the progress of the country and ensuring job opportunities for the State’s youth. “Our focus is on how we can involve the people of Kashmir, how we can involve them in Government at the local level, how can we ensure youngsters have jobs. Whether the leadership in Pakistan is good or bad is not in our hands,” he said.
On the stalled dialogue process with separatists in Kashmir, the Congress leader said that the UPA Government has, over the years, transformed the mood in Kashmir. “There is massive progress in Kashmir. There is a progress in the sentiment of the people, there is progress in the connectivity in Kashmir, there is progress in tourism. We are going to ensure that people of Kashmir get the development they deserve,” he said.
Rahul said: “Kashmir is very important for me. Historically, I come from Kashmir. I would like to see active participation of people, at local level, especially women, to see a progressive Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.
Rahul said that he wants real change and progress in the State. “I want youngsters to have jobs and empower the people here. I was to see the State as fastest growing in the country.”
Rahul while distancing himself from the next Prime Ministerial Candidate of the Congress party, said that such type of questions should be asked to the Congress high command and not to him. “The party has given me the job and am doing my job to strengthen the party at grass root level,” he said.
On Narinder Modi appointed as head of BJP’s election campaign, Rahul said that his appointment is not a concern for the Congress party. “Our concern, is to strengthen the Congress party. The Congress party is doing well in many States and our effort is continue to strengthen it more. And it is BJP’s internal matter,” he said.
On possible inclusion of Nitish Kumar in UPA, the Congress vice president said these are internal matters of Congress party and these decisions are not being taken by a person. “These decisions are taking by senior leaders of Congress party. I can’t give invitation to any one on my own,” he said.
Rahul said that he wants empowerment of the Panchayats and devolution of power. On strengthening Panchayats in Jammu and Kashmir, the Union Rural Development Minister, Jairam Ramesh said that the Centre will provide Rs 10 lakh per year untied funds to 4200 Panchayats across the State, in addition to other schemes for carrying out development.
Untied Funds are meant for carrying out works of emergency nature which are normally not covered under the schemes decentralised at the district level.
Ramesh said these funds will be in addition to the funds available to the panchayats through various schemes like MNREGA and IAY.
The Union minister said the funds, which will be provided within one month, have been sanctioned to strengthen the Panchayats in the State.
Earlier Rahul and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah launched Women’s Empowerment Project, Umeed for the State for which he announced that Union Government has sanctioned Rs750 crore. Under UMEED programme around 1 lakh self-help groups of women will be formed for 9 lakh women of the State for their empowerment.
Rahul while addressing a gathering on the occasion cited the example of Amethi Parliamentary Constituency which he represents in the Parliament and said that UMEED like initiative has given confidence to women to work and stand up on their own feet.
The Congress leader said that the holistic development of the society is not possible without the active participation of women in the development process. He said the faster growth and eradication of poverty in the States like Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra is because of the empowerment of women and their active participation in development programmes.
Rahul said that during his last year’s visit to the State, he interacted with the youth at Kashmir University and asked them to visit Amethi and observe the benefits percolated to women under UMEED so that this programme could also be implemented in Jammu and Kashmir. He said after visiting Amethi the youth of Jammu and Kashmir was of the view that this programme could also be highly beneficial for the State. “I then took Chief Minister,
Abdullah with me to Amethi so that he could also take a view of the success of this programme”, he said and adding that this culminated into launch of UMEED in Jammu and Kashmir.
The Congress Vice President expressed confidence that the scheme would revolutionize the status of rural women in Jammu and Kashmir along with addressing social issues confronting the society. He also assured support to the women for the success of UMEED in the State and told them to work with devotion, dedication and full confidence. “We can provide you every sort of help but you have to work yourselves to achieve goals of welfare, social justice and development”, he added.
While speaking on the occasion of launch of UMEED Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah underlined the role of women in checking the menace of female foeticide and drug addiction among the youth. He described these as dangerous threats to the future of the State.
He said that the reports of female foeticide from the State are of greater concern and alarming while drug addiction among the youth is equally disturbing. Omar said that these two dangerous social diseases, if not restricted well in time, the future of the State would be endangered. He said the women groups to be organized under UMEED have a special role to play in eradicating these evils. He called upon them to focus on these important concerns and safeguard the future of the State. “While attending other socio-economic problems, the society are confronted with, women have to divert special attention for checking female foeticide and drug addiction”, he emphasized.
The Chief Minister assured full support of his Government for the success of UMEED and referred the efforts of Union Minister for Rural Development, Jairam Ramesh and All India Congress Committee Vice President Rahul Gandhi for getting this Rs 750 crore Programme through at the Union Government level. He sought similar support of Rahul Gandhi in getting cleared various other issues of Jammu and Kashmir pending with the Union Government.
Omar said that empowerment of women in the State has been flagged as a focused area by his Government and 33 per cent reservation in Panchayat Elections for Women vindicates this intension. He lauded the women of Jammu and Kashmir for actively participating in women empowerment programmes and said that the contesting of women candidates for all 33 per cent reserved Panchayat Halqas determines the courage and enthusiasm of women of the State to be equal part in the development process.
He said that the UMEED programme that was last year launched for only four blocks of the State would now cover entire State. He said the programme would help in a big way to organize women and empower them to address the socio-economic issues and create wide-ranging livelihood earning opportunities for women.
Omar said that the poverty in the State is not as severe as that of Jarkhand, Chhattisgarh and other such parts of the country. He said that all credit for this goes to his grandfather Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah who conferred the land ownership rights to farmers and made them owners of the land eradicating their poverty. He said with the increase in population the pressure on agriculture land has increased many folds, as such, the need for creating new avenues of income generation for rural population has attained important dimension. He said UMEED like initiatives would address this need to a greater extent. He thanked Rahul Gandhi for visiting the State and launching the scheme for entire Jammu and Kashmir.
Before the launch of UMEED, Rahul and Omar along with the team of Ministers also interacted with a group of women from Lar, Khan Sahib, Basholi and Chenani blocks who have returned after visiting Andhra Pradesh to observe the success of UMEED. They narrated their experience and said that they have organized 300 women groups with 3000 members so far in these four blocks and the process is going on. They expressed satisfaction on UMEED initiative and exuding confidence in this programme they said that they have found the programme highly promising for the development of women and addressing their socio-economic issues.
On the occasion Minister for Rural Development, Ali Mohammad Sagar in his address expressed the gratitude to Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah and All India Congress Committee Vice President, Rahul Gandhi for launching the programme for entire Jammu and Kashmir at today’s function and said that UMEED has generated hope that organizing women in self-help groups and extending economic and logistic support to them to defeat poverty, would yield positive results for the comprehensive development of women in the State.
In his welcome address, Minister of State for Rural Development, Viqar Rasool thanked chief guest, Rahul Gandhi, Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah and other dignitaries for participating in today’s programme which he described a historic event. He also thanked Rahul Gandhi for his keen interest in the development of Jammu and Kashmir.
Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Union Minister for Rural Development, Jairam Ramesh, All India Congress Committee, General Secretary, In-charge Jammu and Kashmir, Mohan Prakash, President Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee and Member Parliament, Professor Saif-ud-Din Soz, local MLA Aga Ruhulla Mehdi and various senior officers from Union and State Governments were present on the occasion.
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