Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, May 22: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today said he would raise the issues of partial revocation of Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) during the next internal security meeting in Delhi.
“The internal security meeting will be held in Delhi on June 5. The Prime Minister will be attending the meeting and Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde will chair it. Definitely AFSPA will be discussed again. Why should it not be discussed!” Omar told reporters after a public meeting in Shopian, 55 kilometres from here.
Omar has been advocating revocation of AFPSA from some areas of the State where the Army is not required to operate, but the demand has been so far been stonewalled by the Army.
“The hindrance is coming from the Army. There is nothing hidden in it,” he said in response to a question on why the controversial law was not being revoked when both him and the State Congress president Saifuddin Soz were in its favour.
Omar’s National Conference and Congress are coalition partners in the State Government.
The Chief Minister said the State Government was trying to deal with the resistance and reluctance of the Army on revocation of AFSPA.
“We are trying to persuade them and prepare them for it. There is some resistance and reluctance and we are trying to deal with it,” he added.
Omar predicted an overwhelming victory for his Government in the 2014 Assembly elections.
“We will win the election next year based on our performance. Our actions will speak loudly for us,” Omar said at a public gathering in Shopian.
Referring to the boycott of assembly proceedings by Opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) during the budget session, the Chief Minister asked people to ensure permanent eviction of those MLAs from the Legislative Assembly who have remained away from its proceedings and failed to highlight public demands at the right forum.
“Had the Pen-Inkpot (election symbol of PDP) party’s MLA of the area advocated the issue about compensation of land acquired by the Government to its owners in the Assembly, they would not have to wait for the Chief Minister’s visit to register their grievances,” Omar said.
Omar was referring to the demand made by a youth before the Chief Minister during the public meeting.
The Chief Minister directed officials concerned to immediately attend to genuine demand of the youth and redress the grievance positively.
“You have not returned our nominee from this constituency, but we have not neglected you at all. We have ensured your development at par with other parts of the State as equitable and holistic development of the state is benchmark of my Government,” he said.
Omar said, over Rs 60 crore alone have been spent in Shopian on construction and up-gradation of roads, while five bridges are under construction at a cost of Rs 34.75 crore.
Three schemes have been approved under NABARD at a cost of Rs 6.57 crore and Rs 3.17 crore have been released as mobilisation advance for these schemes, he said adding, 23 road projects have been sanctioned in Shopian district, of which 21 have been completed and work is on in two schemes.
The Chief Minister said, 49 schemes have been taken up under Public Health Engineering programmes and 16 have been completed during the past three years and eight schemes are targeted for the current fiscal.
A modern fruit mandi, first of its kind in Asia, has been sanctioned for Shopian to facilitate fruit growers and traders associated with this activity, and Rs 40 crore has been earmarked for this purpose, Omar said.
The Chief Minister said his Government would continue to focus on redressing public grievances and expanding the orbit of development in all areas during next one-and-a-half years, adding that attention is being paid on creating economic activities by bringing Shopian on the State’s tourist map.
Construction of Mughal Road has opened new vistas of development and economic welfare for this district, Omar said and added that the road has helped a lot to fruit growers to dispatch their produce to Poonch-Rajouri belt hassle-free.
Omar Abdullah said, this has been possible due to peaceful atmosphere and the prevailing tranquillity and peace is key to all round development.
“We have tried to reach out to all areas on the development front and deliver positively and purposefully. We are fully aware of public difficulties and their demands. We are keenly addressing these and making necessary dents wherever required,” he added.
Earlier, the Chief Minister inaugurated 50 MVA 132/33 KV Grid Station at Kanipora with associated 132 KV D/C Lassipora-Shopian Transmission Line involving estimated cost of Rs. 17.52 crore. The commissioning of Grid Station has energized receiving stations at Batpora, Gargan, Pinjura and Choudhary Gund. Another 33 KV Shadimarg feeder presently under construction will feed receiving stations at Shadimarg, Mittergam and Keller.
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