Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, May 5: National Conference, the main opposition party in Jammu and Kashmir, today called upon the PDP-BJP coalition Government headed by Mufti Mohammad Sayeed to get Rs 44,000 crores worth package submitted to the Government of India for flood victims by previous NC-Congress Government, approved from the Centre at the earliest to help the people even as it decided to launch membership drive in all three regions of the State to rejuvenate and revive the party after worst ever defeat in last year’s Assembly elections.
The NC’s Core Group before concluding its two days meeting in Srinagar this evening adopted several resolutions and took decisions to revive the National Conference to once again make it a force to reckon with. The decisions were taken in the meeting presided over by party president and former Union Minister Dr Farooq Abdullah in the presence of former Chief Minister and NC working president Omar Abdullah and all members of the Core Group.
Core Group member and former Minister Mohammad Akbar Lone told Excelsior that the flood victims of September 2014 have neither been rehabilitated nor paid any compensation after exit of Omar Abdullah Government. He said the Core Group observed that flood victims have been paid only what the previous Government gave to them while new PDP-BJP Government hasn’t given them even single penny.
“The new Government should approach the Centre and get Rs 44,000 crores worth package, which was prepared and submitted to the Centre by our Government, approved immediately to provide relief to the people and rebuild infrastructure damaged by the floods,” Lone said.
The Core Group also adopted a resolution on September 2014 floods.
“The Core Group observed that the PDP-BJP Government has failed to provide relief to victims of floods and didn’t get the relief package, submitted by the previous Government, approved from the Centre. It resolved that the National Conference would continue to fight for dignified rehabilitation of the flood victims,” the resolution adopted in the Core Group meeting said.
In a significant decision, the National Conference decided to rationalize organizational structure of the party. In this connection, the party would launch massive State wide membership drive in all three regions of the State including Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh to connect itself with the people including the youth.
The party also took views of senior leaders comprising the Core Group members on the party’s defeat in last year’s Assembly elections in which it was reduced to 15 seats only and sought their opinion on reviving the party. It called upon the party leaders and workers to launch mass contact programme with the cadre and the people.
Voicing concern over issuance of Permanent Resident Certificates (PRCs) at the school level in violation of rules and established process, the NC Core Group cautioned that it was an attempt by the new Government to change demographic culture of the State. It resolved that the party would continue to strongly oppose such nefarious designs of the coalition Government.
It also opposed new Recruitment Policy of the Government and declared that the party wouldn’t rest till the policy was rolled back by the new Government.
“The new Recruitment Policy of the PDP-BJP Government, which was aimed at making appointments on considerations other than merit and rationality by overruling the established institutions like SRB and PSC was an anti-youth measure that should be revoked without any delay. The National Conference would support unemployed youth of the State in their fight against the `anti-youth’ measures,” the party resolution said.
Dr Farooq Abdullah took feedback from all Core Group members present in the meeting on the party’s defeat in the Assembly elections and steps to rejuvenate the party to take on the PDP-BJP Government.
The National Conference decided to set up Legal Cell under the supervision of party general secretary Ali Mohammad Sagar. Former Advocate General will be vice chairman of the party.
Prominent Core Group members, who were attending the meeting, included NC general secretary Ali Mohammad Sagar, Mohammad Akbar Lone, Mian Altaf, Surjit Singh Slathia, Ajay Sadhotra, Mohammad Shafi Uri, Rashpal Singh, Mushtaq Bukhari and Nasir Aslam Wani among others.
Sources said the National Conference introspected reasons behind the party’s defeat in Assembly elections and discuss steps required to rejuvenate and revive the party in all three regions of the State. While the NC faced rout in Ladakh region drawing a blank in the last year’s Assembly elections, its tally was reduced to 12 in Kashmir region and only three in Jammu region.
The party would also discuss the situation during over two months of PDP-BJP coalition Government headed by Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed.
The decisions taken by the Government including release and detention of separatist Masrat Alam, new recruitment policy, financial position and various other issues were also taken up in the Core Group meeting.
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