Avtar Bhat
JAMMU, Nov 24: Assuring full support and cooperation to Governor Satya Paul Malik’s crusade against corruption, Union Minister of State in PMO with independent charge of North Eastern States, Dr Jitendra Singh today called for impartial high-level probe into some of the most infamous scams during recent regimes of Congress and its allies, including Roshini Land scam, Jammu Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA) scam and Yousuf Shah extortion / murder scam.
Talking to media persons soon after his arrival here today from the Union Capital, Dr Jitendra Singh said Congress and its allies “looted” the State exchequer over last six decades leaving the common man to fend for himself.
Outrightly rejecting the opposition allegations that BJP was eroding set democratic precedence and working against the Constitution, as the decision of dissolving the State Assembly was undemocratic which the Governor took on the advice of BJP led Union Government, he said his party strictly works as per the Constitution and it never interfered in working of any State Government.
“It was the Congress party which was doing such practice during its rule in last 60 years”, he added.
Dr Jitendra Singh said that Narendra Modi Government is for strengthening democracy in the country and in this regard many steps were taken by it during last four years.
He said whatever Governor did was under the Constitution and no body should doubt his integrity.
Lashing out at NC, PDP and Congress for political opportunism, Dr Jitendra Singh said that those who are talking of public interest in real sense are perturbed for their vested interests as they have exploited the people for over 60 years by diverting their attention towards emotive issues to safeguard their own vested interests. The Union Minister also accused the Congress of instigating the Kashmir centric parties in this regard which right from 1947 played a dubious role with the result the State was brought to present mess.
He said it was Congress which gave reigns of the Government to Sheikh Mohammed Abdullah in 1947 and removed him in 1953. Then Congress again brought Sheikh in 1975 and toppled NC Government in 1984 by encouraging defection and installed G M Shah as CM of the State.
Dr Jitendra Singh, however, parried a question about involvement of Pakistan in bringing Kashmiri centric parties together in formation of Government in the State and said there is outside interference in the State and three decades long turmoil and terrorism is outcome of it.
He said those who were talking about the Jammu and Kashmir interest are basically thinking about their own vested interests.
On the formation of Third Front by former Minister and People’s Conference, chief, Sajjad Lone, Dr Jitendra Singh said that time has changed and the politics has also changed a lot. Unlike the past the youth have now to play a greater role and they can’t be misled by feudal mindset any more now, he added.
He said an illusion was created that with the coming of BJP, Kashmir has gone and the same illusion has been created in North East, but people have rejected it as they have seen through the game plan of dynastic parties. The Kashmiri youth now understand that their future is safe in BJP and nowhere else, he added.
Ridiculing the dynastic parties, the Union Minister said that they oft repeated talk about “peoples aspirations” and “I want to know will aspirations be fulfilled by transferring power from grand father to son and then to grandson”.
He said Governor deserves all praise as stone pelting has been brought to halt in Valley. There were same officers who are at present earlier but stone pelting incidents were on increase that time and this needs a research that how this happened suddenly, he added.
Lauding Governor Satya Pal Malik’s decision to bring the J&K Bank under the purview of RTI Act , Chief Vigilance Commissioner and State legislature, and to categorize it as a PSU, the Union Minister alleged that over the years, the Bank had been blatantly “misused” by the State’s ruling families and their close henchmen.
He hailed the Governor’s decision as the one in tune with the Modi Government’s commitment for maximum transparency in the functioning of such institutions.
Over the last four decades, J&K Bank had been used as an unaccounted private property to benefit the members of ruling dynasties and their henchmen. He said, the autonomy of the Bank was exploited to fill the coffers of precisely those who otherwise swear by “autonomy” for the State.
He said, those who are opposing the Governor’s decision by invoking the name of Late Maharaja Hari Singh who had established the Bank, need to be reminded that Maharaja Hari Singh had set up the Bank to benefit the poorest of the poor and for empowerment and autonomy to the last man in the last queue, and not for allowing the loot of the public exchequer.
Later, at a meeting to review the progress of various power projects in the Chenab region, Dr Jitendra Singh was briefed that the issues relating to the Pakal Dul Project had been resolved and the work tender for the tunnel part of the project will be floated in the next few weeks.
Dr Jitendra Singh issued instructions that 1,000 MW Pakal Dul Project, among the biggest in North India after Bakhra Nangal Dam, should be sought to be completed before the stipulated time-line, so that it can become functional around the time of 75th anniversary of India’s independence in 2022.
He also urged the authorities that the local unemployed youth especially technocrats be given preference in the jobs as the means of earning are very meager in the hilly region of Chenab.
The officers who attended the meeting included Hirdesh Kumar , Commissioner Secretary, PDD/MD JKSPDC, M S Babu, MD -CVPPL and others. They informed the Minister that the work is on for construction of Power House and Dam. However the work on tunnel portion was stopped due to some technical reasons.
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