‘Vested interests created stone pelters, gave Sopore names like Kandhar’
Sopore will now emerge as model town in India
Fayaz Bukhari
Srinagar, Sept 7: Lt Governor Manoj Sinha today said that the top priority of the administration is to break the backbone of terrorism and urged people not to provide support to it.
Addressing a gathering at Dak Bunglow Sopore, the LG urged the people of Sopore to stop giving any kind of shelter to terror supporters and leave the rest to police and other security forces.
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“The top priority of our administration is to break the backbone of terrorism, and I have only one appeal to the people. Don’t safeguard such elements and do not provide shelter to them. The police and security forces will handle the rest of the work,” he said.
Sinha said that several generations have lived in fear, and the reason behind it was a few conflict profiteers who hijacked the aspirations of the entire Jammu and Kashmir. “For our and our families’ interests, we have taken a pledge to end that system here, and I want your support to completely uproot this system,” he said.
The LG told the gathering that development and prosperity will only come when there is peace. “Those who misled you and who only created stone pelters here and gave Sopore names like Kandhar, you must decide for yourselves whether such people have benefited you or done injustice to you and the future of your children,” he asked.
“The people have decided to raise their voices against the conflict profiteers in unison. We need your support to continue this arrangement, and when India celebrates its 100th Independence Day in 2047, the contribution of Jammu and Kashmir to the progress of the country should be no less than that of any other state. Together, we can make Jammu and Kashmir such a place. Let us leave an environment for our future generation where they can envision new dreams,” he said.
Sinha said that the development is not a part of politics, it is a duty, and the administration is not politicising it but fulfilling its obligation.
“The people of Jammu and Kashmir knew that discrimination had sprouted here because work was only done for a few people. A different kind of VIP culture was created here, in which some individuals made the lives of people miserable by taking advantage of terrorism,” he said.
The LG said that today the projects are being completed on time, which was not the case earlier. “I have, for the first time, learned about the term languishing projects scheme, and upon inquiring, I was told that these are projects that were started 15-20 years ago without any administrative approval and lacked funds. These projects were started to deceive the people. The main goal of completing these projects on time is to bring peace and prosperity to every household in Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.
“I want to congratulate the administration for all the projects that have been initiated for the people of Sopore. The projects whose foundation stones were laid are the administration’s priority to complete on time. I want to assure the people that the administration is duty-bound to fulfil your wishes. Sopore was once called the mini-London because every house was economically well-to-do and the standard of living was better than that of people from other parts of the Valley,” he said.
Sinha said that despite having the largest fruit mandi in Asia, Sopore, for some reasons, has been the victim of neglect for the last four decades.
“Some days ago, I was reading about a social activist from Sopore saying that Sopore has to change, and I welcome his remarks. I want to assure you that in order for Sopore to regain its lost glory, we, with the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, will help achieve it. I want everyone to participate in this journey to make Sopore one of the most modern and beautiful cities in India. Sometimes we say the government will bring change, but it can only make facilities available for the people, and real change can only happen with public participation,” he added.
The LG urged people to bring change in their lives to make Sopore beautiful. “The administration has tried several times to make the neighbourhood people understand, and even notices have been served to them, but it is all a matter of habit. If we want to make our city beautiful and restore Sopore to its 1970s glory, we have to change. Let us take a pledge to make Sopore beautiful, and we all have to take care of public infrastructure,” he said.
“We want a similar system to function in every village, town, and tehsil. Every citizen is important to the administration, and no one is less important. If the people of Kashmir are living according to their will, it is because the aspiration for development has started to emerge from the homes of the poor,” he said.
Safina Baig, DDC Chairperson, Baramulla and Musarat Kar, President Municipal Council Sopore expressed gratitude to the Lt Governor-led UT Administration for giving special focus to the development of Baramulla and Sopore in particular.
The projects inaugurated by the Lt Governor include Office Complex of MC Sopore worth Rs 1.96 cr; Development of Park at Chinkipora Ward of MC Sopore at a cost of Rs 40 lakhs; Public Park at Mahrajpora costing Rs 53.27 lakhs; Open Air Gym Park near Bypass Bridge Upper Ashpeer worth Rs One cr and Upgradation of Vohlutra Shitloo road including allied links at Vohlutra Arkharwari Valanwari Doonwari road costing Rs 6.50 cr.
The Lt Governor also distributed sanction letters to beneficiaries under various schemes.
Dr Arun Kumar Mehta, Chief Secretary; Vijay Kumar, ADGP Kashmir; Vijay Kumar Bidhuri, Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, Dr Syed Sehrish Asgar, Deputy Commissioner Baramulla, senior officers, public representatives and a large number of people were present.
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