Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar/Leh/JammU, May 19: Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti today hoped that Prime Minister, Narendra Modi would continue his efforts to find a lasting solution to the pain and wounds of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
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Addressing a gathering at SKICC, the Chief Minister thanked the Prime Minister for announcing unilateral halt on security operations in the State. “It certainly is a big step which needed courage and you have amply displayed that. Not only the political parties, every person in the State is grateful to you for putting the balms on their wounds”, she addressed the Prime Minister adding that the people of the State are ready to walk ten steps in response to this on the road to peace and getting them out of quagmire of violence.
Mehbooba said the step taken by the Central Government has raised hopes and faith of State’s people in the statesmanship of the Prime Minister. “People here believe that it is he (the Prime Minister) who took this bold step and it can only be him who has the strength to move on and take the people of Jammu and Kashmir out of the present situation”, she said.
The Chief Minister said the Agenda of Alliance (AoA) of the present Government has emerged as a consensus political document in last 70 years to redress the issues and problems facing the State in a democratic way. “When you (the Prime Minister) and late Mufti sahib drew a roadmap for the State, it gradually became a consensus political document to redress the issues facing Jammu and Kashmir”, she said.
She said that AoA has incorporated everything which it takes for redressing the issues of the people of the State. “Be it rehabilitation of refugees, opening of cross LoC routes, dialogue, opening of Sharda Peeth, compensation of Indus Water Treaty losses, it has everthing in it”, she said while pitching for moving forward on its speedy implementation.
Being a sensitive State, Mehbooba said political narrative always over shadows the developmental narrative and as such needed to be looked accordingly. She thanked the Centre for liberal assistance in terms of PMDP or other schemes which are aimed at fast pacing the development of the State. She hoped that soon work would commence on Vailoo-Singhpora tunnel and other tunnels like Sadhna and Rajdhani are also considered for execution.
Welcoming the Prime Minister at Leh, Ms Mufti thanked him for participating in the closing ceremony of Kushak Bakula.
The Chief Minister said the Zojila tunnel would be instrumental in increasing tourism traffic to Ladakh region.
Mehbooba also requested sanctioning of an international-level indoor stadium in Leh and Kargil as the youth here were good in sports such as ice skating and ice hockey.
About the Zojila tunnel, she recalled that Gadkari had given a time of seven years for completion of the tunnel but the Prime Minister asked him to ensure that it be completed in next five years.
“I’m confident that it will be completed during your tenure as Prime Minister,” she said.
In Jammu, hailing the people for upholding the tenets of harmony, inclusive sense, amity and brotherhood, Mehbooba said her Government has envisioned Jammu as an independent tourist destination for which many projects are in pipeline.
The Chief Minister said in present day world Jammu represents a truly pluralist social system which has evolved as an example for all societies. She appealed the people of Jammu to uphold these tenets of tolerance and values for which the State known since ages. She said when many people left Kashmir valley, the people of Jammu not only opened their homes and hearths for them but also shared their resources, supplies and other facilities.
Mehbooba said her Government is keen to develop Jammu as an independent tourist destination for which many projects are in pipeline. She said Government is making efforts to retain the tourist footfall in Jammu which seems to have slipped ever since the direct rail connectivity to Katra. Many of such projects, she said, are being inaugurated this year alone and work on many more is apace.
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