Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Dec 12: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today expressed concern over the rising incidents of breach of ceasefire at the Pakistan border, and said he will ask the Centre to take up the issue with Islamabad.
Abdullah said,”people of the border areas have to bear the brunt of violation of ceasefire.”
“I would urge the central leadership to take up the issue of violation of ceasefire with Pakistan to ensure peace and tranquillity along the Line of Control and at borders,” Omar said in Rajouri.
He addressed public rallies in Hanjana-Nowshera in Rajouri district and Mera Mandarian in Akhnoor belt of Jammu district today.
The Chief Minister said people living in border areas have to bear the brunt of violation of ceasefire and their life, property, agriculture and economic activities get severely hampered by such incidents.
There have been seven to eight ceasefire violations along Indo-Pak border in Poonch and Samba sectors of Jammu and Kashmir this month alone.
Omar said that he has always batted for good relations between India and Pakistan and resolution of issues between the two neighbours through peaceful dialogue process and would continue to work in this direction.
Omar inaugurated two major bridges at Hajana, Nowshera and Mera Mandarian, Akhnoor. The bridge at Hajana has been completed at a cost of over Rs. 14.13 crores while Mera Mandarian bridge involved construction cost of Rs. 24.25 crore. These bridges have been constructed by JKPCC.
The Chief Minister said that the Central leadership and the Union Governments in India and Pakistan are only authorities who can sit down and sort-out issues between them amicably. “The (PDP), which blows its own trumpet in this regard making false claims only exhibit their style of befooling commoners”, he said adding that people in the State are politically mature enough to understand that international issues are dealt by the Central Governments and Central leaderships and not by the local party presidents or State Chief Ministers.
Omar said that the people are best judges to judge politicians on their performance. “We do not require creating any hype as the work done by the Coalition Government on peace and development fronts is before the public speaking louder and clear for our performance”, he said adding that this will itself blunt the propaganda of propagandist elements against the Coalition Government.
“Our performance and intention to achieve peaceful and prosperous Jammu and Kashmir and our remarkable achievements on these fronts have amply imprinted impact all across the State”, he said and maintained that the sweeping of MLC seats in the recently held election to the Legislative Council seats reserved for Panchayats lucidly depict public faith in the coalition. He said despite malicious propaganda of all sorts unleashed by the detectors of the coalition, the Panchayat members refused to get carried away by hollow slogans.
“You voted on the basis of our performance and expressed your trust and faith in the Coalition Government”, he told Panchs and Sarpanchs present in the public meetings expressing gratitude to them for this gesture.
He said that his Government is committed for 3-tier fully empowered Panchayat Raj System in the State. “We are eagerly waiting for PCC-I Chief Prof. Saif-ud-Din Soz led Coordination Committee report to go for Block Development Council elections which would follow elections to the district councils”, he said.
Omar said that the relations between NC and Congress are since the time of Sheikh Sahib and Jawaharlal. “These grew further during Sheikh Sahib and Indira Ji’s period and Rajiv Gandhi and Dr Farooq Abdullah’s time, and are further being cemented this time”, he said elaborating that the differences between the two parties never came in the personal relations of the two families.
He said that the ideology and policy for good governance and equitable development of all the sections of the society and the regions and sub-regions of the State enshrined by National Conference and Congress in their political agenda are so common and close to each other that Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru maintained that formulation of Congress Party in Jammu and Kashmir was not needed when Sheikh Sahib was at the helm of affairs in the State after independence.
Omar said that Congress-led UPA-1 and UPA-2 Governments at the Centre have initiated various programmes aimed at strengthening people and “we in Jammu and Kashmir have also the agenda of public empowerment”, he said and referred to holding of panchayat elections in the State after a period of over 30 years. He also mentioned the enactment and implementation of Public Service Guarantee Act and other measures put in place by the Coalition Government to bring transparency, reduce corruption at lower levels and upgrade governance.
He also mentioned the initiative of Direct Cash Benefit (DCB) scheme introduced by UPA-2 to ensure the benefits of subsidy percolate to the poor without any leakage. He said, he would also like this initiative in the State for the benefit of poorer sections of the society. “I am in favour of DCB for the supply of kerosene, gas and other essentials for poorer people”, he added.
On the working of NC-Congress Coalition Government, the Chief Minister said that the Council of Ministers rendered their service to the people in its best capacity and worked in tandem to implement public welfare schemes with commitment and carried forward the State towards the goal of peaceful and progressive Jammu and Kashmir. “We joined our hands to achieve this target and we are moving towards it amicably and jointly”, he said and added that the fighting of elections for MLC seats jointly by NC and Congress has provided very good opportunity to the workers of both the parties to percolate coalition to the grass roots.
Omar said that besides registering huge achievements on development front, his Government has been able to create conducive and palatable atmosphere in the State. “After a period of more than 20 years we are witnessing tranquil and calm atmosphere in the State for which the Coalition Government worked hard”, he said.
He called for wholehearted support of people in his mission to realize a peaceful and economically sound Jammu and Kashmir which would be self-reliant in all fields. “I want Jammu and Kashmir financially rich and not dependent on Central support for development and growth but plenty enough to offer support to other States”, he expressed the hope and said that the rich potential for generation of hydro electricity is the way out to translate this dream into reality.
Minister for Health, Sham Lal Sharma, Minister of State for R&B, Javid Ahmad Dar and Member Parliament, Madan Lal Sharma also spoke on the occasion while Vice Chairman, OBC Board, Kuldeep Raj Verma, legislators, Radhey Shah Sharma and Ravinder Sharma were also present on the occasion.
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