KL Report
SRINAGAR
Demanding separate regional councils for Jammu, Srinagar and other districts in the Jammu and Kashmir, senior Congress leader and minister for PHE Sham Lal Sharma Wednesday said that Autonomy and Self rule are hollow slogans aimed at distracting people from prosperity and development.
Sharma, while talking to KNS stated that the people of the state have gone through tremendous hardships in the past and there is a dire need for separate regional councils for Jammu and Srinagar at the first phase. He said the same should be followed in the other districts of the state so as to achieve maximum benefit from the devolution of administrative and developmental powers.
Substantiating his demand, Sharma stated further that the total population of Meghalaya is 12 lakh and that there are 22 regional councils in the state thus touching horizons of development. “I have discussed the issue threadbare with the senior Congress leaders and have asked them that the state must have the separate regional councils so that the administrative set ups could become more accountable and objective in their functioning.”
He told KNS: “When we have separate regional councils in different districts, we could have the separate administrative units and people could find it much easier to approach the government then.” He added that the demands on Autonomy and Self Rule will never yield any desired results to benefit the people at large.
While adding further, Sharma remarked: “The change in nomenclature of Chief Minister of the state to Prime Minister and Governor as Sadar-e-riyasat cannot change the status of the people here and that the utmost requirement at present juncture is to introduce people to the new era of development and prosperity.”
The minister for PHE said there is an amicable coordination between National Conference (NC) and the Congress as the coalition partners and there is no visible or a major rift between the two parties in terms of providing good governance to the people. “The Chief Minster never create any hurdles in the working of the Congress ministers and he has always shown maturity during the crucial times.”
When asked about the recent defeat of Congress in other states in the recently conducted polls and its possible impact over the state’s politics, Sharma mentioned that the political scenario in the state is different in comparison to the other states of India and that there would be no impact of Congress’s recent defeat on Jammu and Kashmir.
Sharma also clarified that he has no personal grudges against his cabinet colleague Taj Mohi-u-Din. “We don’t have differences or personal grudges against each other. If at all we have any differences the same are based on principles.”
