* Declares 2013 as year of consolidation
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Dec 8: Declaring 2013 as year of consolidation, the working president of the National Conference and Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah, today directed the Ministers and Legislators to extensively tour every nook and corner of the State in order to keep the momentum of convincing victory in Legislative Council elections on and gear up for the 2014 Parliamentary and Assembly elections. He also stressed for taking proactive measures to strengthen the National Conference-Congress coalition in the run up to these elections.
Addressing the Working Committee members of the party at Sher-e-Kashmir Bhawan, Mr Omar said, “the victory in the Legislative Council elections is the party’s victory as well as of National Conference-Congress coalition”, adding “we have to keep the momentum of convincing victory on and gear up for the Parliamentary and Assembly elections, which are due in 2014”.
Declaring 2013 as the year of consolidation, the working president of the party said, “we have to make all efforts to take proactive measures which will benefit the party and strengthen the coalition as well and address the aspirations of the people in a focused and organized manner”. He urged the Ministers and Legislators to extensively tour far flung areas of the State, listen to the grievances of the people and ensure redressal upto their satisfaction.
President of the party, Dr Farooq Abdullah, while congratulating the party colleagues on the Coalition’s victory in the Legislative Council elections, urged the party cadre to take the message of National Conference and the Government to every nook and corner of the State. “National Conference-Congress Coalition has got strengthened by the recent polls and it should be the endeavour of both the parties to get stronger and the bond should percolate to the grass root”, he said.
He said that National Conference has always stood for the principles of secularism, communal harmony and brotherhood and always fought against the divisive forces and defeated them in the State and shall continue to do so in future.
The Working Committee unanimously resolved that India and Pakistan must enter into a sustained dialogue and find a permanent solution to the Kashmir imbroglio, which is acceptable to all the stakeholders and can lead to a lasting peace in the region. The restoration of the autonomy continues to be the bedrock of the National Conference’s policy and agenda, the resolution said.
“The State must continue its efforts with the Government of India for the revocation of the AFSPA in a phased manner”, the resolution said while appreciating that the State Government with the support of the Union Government has been able to bring peace and normalcy in the State, which has accelerated the pace of development as also improved the economy thereby increasing the per-capita income.
The party advised that the State Government should impress upon the Government of India to take up with the Government of Pakistan the issue of streamlining of trade across the LoC where in barter system should be replaced by the system of cash transfer. “The Coalition Government should take up with the Union Government the issue of opening of Jammu-Sialkote road, Nowshera-Mirpur road, Kargil-Skardu road and Mendhar Tattapani Road”, the resolution said.
The Working Committee also stressed that the State Government should implement the report on the creation of new administrative units, take initiatives to promote infrastructure in the private sector by announcing some fresh incentive packages particularly for the hoteliers, Shikarawalas and Taxi Operators in view of the increasing tourist traffic.
While appreciating the State Government for holding the elections to the Panchayats after three decades, the Working Committee urged the Government to take steps to strengthen the Panchayati Raj system in the State, provide honorarium and sitting fee to the Panchayat representatives, adequate transfer of funds to the Panchayati Raj Institutions in commensurate with the functions transferred to them, constitution of Panchayati Adalats, a comprehensive life insurance policy for the elected representatives as a means of social security, adequate supporting staff to Halqa Panchayats in order to equip them for delivering the functions so devolved in a smooth manner, providing of adequate infrastructure to the Halqa Panchayats, establishing of full fledged training institutes at the provincial level for capacity building of the PRIs in order to provide result oriented trainings to the elected representatives.
In the resolution, the Working Committee expressed satisfaction over the measures taken by the Government to bring accountability, transparency and efficiency in the governance by implementing the Right to Information Act, the reconstitution of the State Accountability Commission and the promulgation of the Public Service Guarantee Act. The Working Committee urged the Government to constitute the State Vigilance Commission at the earliest.
The party also appreciated the State Government for its accelerated employment initiatives in particular the SKEWPY but urged it to come out with a special recruitment drive to provide employment to the educated unemployed youth of the State. It lauded the State Government for the initiatives taken by it in power generation and improving the power distribution in the State and urged the Government to employ locals in the new power projects.
The party appreciated the State Government for devising a policy for the regularization of adhoc/contractual and those working on consolidated basis and said that Government should fast track the process of regularization.
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