Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Apr 14: Describing the recently concluded session of State Legislature as a damp squib, NPP chairman Harshdev Singh regretted that none of the prominent issues pertaining to Jammu region was raked up during the said session generating a feeling of unrest and discontent among the people of Jammu region.
Talking to media-persons today, the NPP leader said that this Budget Session has largely disappointed the people as none of the Jammu based issues, was agitated by any of the Jammu based legislators in the Assembly.
Making a mention of the promises made by the BJP during elections regarding empowerment of Jammu, he said delimitation of Assembly constituencies, end of discrimination against Jammu region and ensuring it equitable treatment, grant of State Subject rights to West Pak refuges, right to vote in Assembly elections and Local Bodies to WPRs’, reservation of 5 seats for PoJK migrants and 3 seats for Kashmir migrants, 33 % reservation for women in Assembly etc; all the said slogans fell flat.
He said that PDP embarked upon its agenda from day one with announcements of holding talks with Pakistan, Hurriyat and Separatists, phased revocation of AFSPA, enhanced cross-LoC trade, return of hydro power projects and denial of home land to Kashmiri migrants; the BJP miserably failed to rake up any of its issues in the Assembly or outside.
The NPP leader castigated the surrender of BJP on the issue of AIIMS which was actually announced for Jammu region. Dispelling the misleading impressions being created by certain political parties that AIIMS was sanctioned for Kashmir, Harsh Dev said that the Union Minister on Feb 28, 2015 in New Delhi had categorically announced its establishment in Jammu. He said that the Finance Ministry’s announcement was explicitly conveyed to the State and carried in various daily newspapers in their editions March 1, 2015. He further said that Dr Jitendra Singh, the Union MoS had also issued a statement from New Delhi, thanking the Finance Minister for providing AIIMS to Jammu. But despite this all, the AIIMS has been denied to Jammu region.
He alleged that the BJP has not only sacrificed its age old ideology but indulged in the most deceptive deal, setting aside the interests and aspirations of Jammu region. He appealed the people of Jammu region to join the movement for the restoration of AIIMS to Jammu region.
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