‘Work on Devika project to begin soon’
Avtar Bhat
UDHAMPUR, Oct 16: Holding Congress party fully responsible for present mess in Kashmir, Union Minister of State in PMO with Independent charge of North Eastern States, Dr Jitendra Singh today said that the misadventurism in Kashmir started with Nehruvian blunders right from 1947.
Talking to media persons here today on the sidelines of a review meeting of prestigious Rs 186.7 crore holy Devika project on which work will start shortly, Dr Jitendra Singh said with Congress blunders India lost Pak occupied Kashmir (PoK) and had the then Prime Minister, Pt. Jawahar Lal Nehru not asked the Indian forces to halt half way they would have liberated the entire PoK from clutches of Pakistan at that time and there would have been no Kashmir problem like the present one.
Dr Jitendra Singh said Congress made blunders after blunders in Kashmir as it not only gave PoK at platter to Pakistan but later showed total appeasement towards National Conference (NC) which too contributed to present mess in the State. He alleged that to gain power Congress is conniving with separatists at present.
“The Congress leaders are so power hungry that they are maintaining convenient silence even in the wake of Aligarh Muslim University students’ agitation supporting Kashmiri terrorists and separatists”, he added.
The Union Minister said that the situation with Congress leaders is so perturbing that they refuse to make any comment of Aligarh Muslim University and indulge in selective condemnation of terrorist violence.
Dr Jitendra Singh said that there is a discernible change in the ground situation in Kashmir and people are not being carried away by the separatists as the common man and youth of Kashmir want to be the part of nationwide development plank of Prime Minister, Narendra Modi. He said situation is fast changing in Kashmir as youth of Valley are coming out with flying colours in the Civil Services and other competitive examinations like IIT and JEE at national level now. This emerging trend has been a cause for the separatists and terrorists who were thriving on false propaganda and exploiting the people by raising the emotive issues, he added.
The Union Minister said there are four to five percent separatist leaders who for their self aggrandizement don’t want that peace should be restored in Valley as otherwise they will lose their political ground.
In response to a question regarding former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti condemning killing of Hizbul Mujahideen, commander, Manaan Wani, Dr Jitendra Singh said it has been an old habit with Kashmiri politicians to have one up-manship over each other and they are playing to separatists galleries.
On prestigious holy Devika Project, the Union Minister said that work on the project will begin shortly. He said it is the first River Rejuvenation Project of North India. He said the Devika rejuvenation will add to the flora and fauna of the area and it will help in protection of environment as greenery will be all over in the area besides trees and flowers will also be planted in the vicinity of the Project. The quality of river water will be made scientifically better, there will be a river front and four crematoriums, he added.
He said this project will become a model for other states to study.
Earlier the review meeting was also attended by A K Mehta, Additional Secretary Ministry of Environment, Government of India and other officers from GoI. The district officers including DC Kathua, Ravinder Kumar, Director Urban Local Bodies, Jammu, R S Tara, Chief Engineer UEED and other officers of allied departments also attended the meeting.
During the meeting, Dr Jitendra Singh took complete feed back from the officers concerned and showed his complete annoyance over the dismal performance of Nodal Officer of Devika Project.
The Minister while taking Nodal Officer to task during the meeting said that he lacked information about the project and does not know about administrative approval which is unfortunate.
He said it is a pity that “we have not adopted the work culture in the State and stressed that the ground work on the project be done on war footing. He asked the officers to fix the date of start of work and commissioning of project besides frame a Committee of all allied Departments so that there is no hurdle in the construction of project.
He also urged the DC Udhampur to appoint a Nodal Officer over the Nodal Officer to monitor the progress of the ground work including DPR and administrative approval besides maintaining a complete liaison with allied departments and Central Ministry.
Both Dr Jitendra Singh and A K Mehta also stressed on appointment of two consultants and urged the officers that the land acquisition process be started quickly on the basis of war footing. Mehta asked the officers to take care of catchment area and make Devika a holistic project which should not remain confined to performance of last rites only.
The Union Minister also urged the DDC to visit Sabarmati in Gujarat or Gomti river development project in UP. He also directed that there should be 100 percent coverage of individual households for solid liquid waste management.
BJP vice president, Pawan Khajuria was also present in the meeting.
Earlier, Dr Jitendra Singh along with BJP general secretary (Org), Ashok Kaul, party general secretary, Yudhvir Sethi, vice president Pawan Khajuria and BJP Prabahri for Udhampur, Purnima Sharma inaugurated the newly constructed party’s district office at Udhampur and addressed a largely attended meeting.
Another newly constructed district office of the party was inaugurated by BJP State chief Ravinder Raina along with other party leaders at Reasi.
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