Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Aug 6: Asserting that women are the worst sufferers of infra deficits in Jammu and Kashmir, People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Mehbooba Mufti said if voted to power in the upcoming Assembly elections, her party would pay a special focus to provide basic amenities to the people.
Addressing a number of meetings in Pampore constituency of Pulwama district today, she said whether it is lack of drinking water, specialised healthcare or education, the women have to face the maximum fallout of the absence of adequate amenities.
Ms Mehbooba said the problems faced by Pampore constituency would receive focused attention and the area will be brought up on the scale of development by harnessing the immense potential it has in agriculture, horticulture and tourism.
She said it was unfortunate that the State had not been able to leverage the inherent distinction of Pampore, of being rare saffron growing area for its overall development of the area.
‘Neither had the rich heritage and cultural assets of Pampore been adequately developed or showcased to help generate employment for local youth,’ the PDP president said.
Alleging that lack of health infrastructure was adversely affecting the people and forcing them to seek medical assistance in Srinagar, she said at many places women complained of non-availability of lady doctors and women paramedics, which in our traditional society proves even fatal at times for women, who generally shy away from male medical staff.
Ms Mehbooba said the Government education system has been subverted and would need a massive effort to bring it back on the rails so that the State could get the returns for massive investment made in the sector, so that it was able to produce employable students with quality education and skills.
The PDP president said urgent measures need to be taken to revive saffron industry which in spite of liberal assistance from Centre continues to suffer a kind of degeneration.
She said much of the valuable land under saffron cultivation is being lost to rampant and unplanned constructions and land mafia which is changing the very character and topography of the world famous Karewas. Emphasizing on the need to promote Pampore as a tourist destination, the PDP president said places like Awantipur, Shar-Shali, Konibal, Mondekpal, Ladhoo etc, could become hubs of heritage and other tourism activities. Similarly, she said, wayside facilities need to be developed to promote highway tourism which could generate jobs and improve the overall image of tourism sector in the State.
Ms Mehbooba said PDP, with a decisive mandate in the next elections, will carry forward the initiatives of establishing educational institutions like Islamic University and Science and Technology (IUST) at Awantipur. She said Mufti Mohammad Sayeed has a vision about this university to become an institution of excellence that could help a great deal in reviving the Kashmir’s credentials as a knowledge society and exceptional skills.
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