Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Aug 20 : Former Union Minister and MLA Jammu West Prof Chaman Lal Gupta today said that it is the last session of this 11th Assembly and the report card of the State Coalition must come under scrutiny but there seems little such like in the Government agenda.
In a statement issued here, he said as far as the performance of this coalition is concerned, it is very much disappointing. This Government has miserably failed on all fronts. So much so even the promises made in the Assembly have not been honoured, not to say of their manifestoes of 2008 elections, he added.
He said it was assured in the Assembly itself in the very first session that 73rd and 74th Amendments of the Indian Constitution would be applied in the State also for empowerment of the basic democracies and that of women. More than five years have passed but not to say of empowering the basic democracies even the election process of the Panchayats was not completed. The elections to the urban bodies have not been held, he added.
Prof Gupta said the ruling leaders had made several other promises , these includes eradication of corruption, unemployment, poverty etc. but under this regime the corruption and abuse of public funds seems to have become customery.
He said, the Government claims that during the period of last over five years one lakh youth have been provided Government jobs and almost equal number of such youths have been adjusted in the private sector. If the Government figures are taken as true, even then the problem of unemployment has aggreiviated because in 2008-09 the number of unemployed youths were registered as 6.4 lakhs. In this period of about six years more than two lakhs of youths, thus, the number of unemployed remains the same, he added.
On other fronts the failure of this dispensation is more evident he said. The number of persons living below the poverty line still remains. The same as it was about a decade back. According to Government figures 7.56 lakhs of families were drawing rations as BPL and AAY. This number still remains the same even after expiry of the tenure of this coalition, he added.
Prof Gupta said chaotic conditions prevail in the power sector. During the past over five years the demand for electricity has marked big increase but the local generation of energy was marked little increase despite vast resources. This is resulting in import of 70% of the electricity in which about 8% of total budget of the State is being consumed on power losses, he added.
Similarly in other fields the picture is quite hazy. The imports of eatables are increasing. So much so even the eggs and poultry are being imported. Thus adversely affecting the economy of the State, he said.
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