Jammu to get AIIMS soon, lake to be completed in March next: DyCM

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, June 8:  As first ever PDP-BJP coalition Government completed 100 days in office, Deputy Chief Minister and prominent BJP leader Dr Nirmal Singh declared that announcement of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) for Jammu is on the cards.
“Jammu will get the AIIMS and an announcement to this effect by the BJP Government at the Centre will be made soon,” Dr Singh told a press conference here on completion of 100 days of the Government headed by Mufti Mohammad Sayeed.
He declared that artificial lake over river Tawi in Jammu will be completed by March 2016.
Dr Singh said the Cabinet Sub Committee (CSC) headed by him on New Recruitment Policy was on the job and it will be finalized soon.
The Deputy Chief Minister’s statement on AIIMS and artificial lake in Jammu assumed significance as there had been strong resentment in Jammu over location of AIIMS in the Kashmir valley and proposed shelving of artificial lake over river Tawi.
Replying to questions, Dr Singh admitted that “some controversial issues” had “impacted” governance of the coalition but claimed that it had addressed all the issues successfully.
“The 100 days of our rule was setting the stage right for ensuring good governance. There were some controversial issues which impacted the governance, but we resolved all the issues and these 100 days, I can firmly say, were successful,” he said.
Dr Singh highlighted the work done by his Government and attacked the previous National Conference dispensation of Omar Abdullah, saying it had left behind a “mess”.
“We have got this mess. And we have honestly tried to correct this mess,” he said, adding “We have started setting this platform for good governance”.
He alleged that the previous Government had created a mess with the budget and “now we are trying to correct it”.
Claiming that the State has no money, Singh said, “It is June now, but our treasuries are empty.” He said that next year, in January, “we expect the funds to come from the Centre as the talks are on.”
Castigating the previous Omar Abdullah Government, he said, “The utilization certificates, which had been sought by the Central Government, have not been given so far – in MGNREGA, SSA (Sarv Shiksha Abhiyan) and other sectors”.
“In SSA, salaries have not been given for last 8-9 months, they have created mess. Same is the case with Rehbar-e-Taleem (ReT) as no provision has been made for the future,” he said.
The Deputy CM said the previous Government created administrative units but did not keep provisions of funds for them. New schools were declared but no funds were kept for them.
On the coming together of PDP and BJP, he said, “It was after a well thought out decision” by the Central BJP leadership led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to form the Government after two-month-long dialogue with PDP.
“It was not a coalition of ideologies but coalition based on a common agenda of development,” he said.
The State Government today said the anti-national activities had been going on earlier also but the new dispensation is taking tough action to curb these.
“I want to put the facts straight. So far as the anti- national activities are concerned, they (the separatists and some other sections) are doing it since long,” he said.
“The question is whether the Government is acting or not? We have acted. We arrested (Kashmiri separatist) Masrat Alam and put him behind bars. We have lodged FIRs against others. They are being tried. Law will take its own course,” he said.
“So far as this issue (of appearance of Bhindranwale’s posters and raising of pro-Khalistan slogans in Jammu) is concerned, we have filed FIRs against those involved,” the DyCM said.
Referring to the violence witnessed in Jammu last week, Dr Singh said, “when this flared up, our priority was to cool down the tempers… We never wanted those elements, who wanted to vitiate  the atmosphere and trying to divide the State on the same lines that used to happen in past, to succeed. That was our strategy.”
He added, “We succeeded in that and we assure you that action will be taken against those involved and law will take its own course”.
Dr Singh said that the Government is committed to strengthen the core infrastructure like roads, power and tourism across the State so that people get a feel of change emerging on the ground.
Asserting that PDP-BJP coalition was for total eradication of corruption in the State, he said in coming days the people of the State will see that this Government is going to go tough against the corrupt elements in the system.
Highlighting the major achievements of the present Government, Dr. Singh said that various initiatives have been taken to project Jammu as an independent tourist destination.
The Deputy Chief Minister informed that Government is keen to give major fillip to the tourism in the region by expediting ongoing tourism projects and introducing a range of attractive activities at the potential places.  He said work on the Development of Mubarak Mandi Heritage complex, Artificial Tawi Lake, Sanasar Golf Course, development of  Mantalai as an International Yoga Centre would be expedited to make these a reality at the earliest . He said that introduction of water sports and other adventure activities at potential places like Ranjit Sagar dam will be among many initiatives to boost tourism in the region.
He said that Government is also considering amnesty scheme for electricity consumers who have huge power tariff arrears adding that quality power will be supplied to the consumers in coming days as modernization project for power infrastructure has already been taken up.
Listing other projects, Dr Singh said that the Government has decided to construct Multi-level parking at Panjtirthi, underground Parking,  Shopping Arcades and Play Ground on Terrace with Ultra Modern Joggers  Track, Development of Hari Singh Park at Exhibition ground , new housing colonies and removal of encroachments for the development of the Jammu city.
Meanwhile, the Deputy Chief Minister clarified that he has been quoted out of context by a newspaper today on relief for flood victims. He said that he never quoted the figure of Rs 3600 crores as final settlement for flood relief.
“I told the newspaper that another installment of Rs 1500 crores as flood relief is being released,” he added.

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