KL Report
JAMMU
Jammu based “communal politicians” are making hue and cry on the directions of central government not only to mislead the world community but to ensure that Kashmiris are denied their rights on developmental front also and still their voice should remain unheard, independent lawmaker Engineer Rasheed demanded that government should come out with a white paper furnishing details of funds provided on account of various packages given to the state showing assistance given to Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh regions.
While taking part in the discussion on grants pertaining to Industries and commerce department, Rasheed termed charges of discrimination with Jammu region as alleged by Jammu based MLAs ridiculous and said that it is the Kashmiri people who are being made not only scapegoats but are being treated as second class citizens.
Er Rasheed said that the huge industrial package given by the center in 2002 which was operational till June 2012, was given by the center to revive the industrial sector in Kashmir which had suffered a huge set back because of turmoil but the official figures which have been provided by the Government Of India reveal that the 95 percent of the package has been spent in Jammu and Kathua districts only which is not only shameful but a clear cut proof that which region is facing discrimination. Engineer said that rather than providing further assistance on account of losses suffered due to this discrimination, central government added salt to the injuries of Kashmiri people by setting of Prime Minister’s Special Task Force to look into the charges of discrimination allegedly leveled against Jammu and Ladakh and this task force sanctioned further amount of Rs 400 crores for Jammu and Ladakh to address their grievances in the name of so called discrimination which had never taken place with them.
Interestingly an amount of Rs 50 crores has been spent from this amount as on date and that too only in Jammu and Kathua districts which have not only suffered least during turmoil but are enjoying huge packages. He said that the figures reveal that total of 20 thousand kannals of land is under organized industrial sector in Jammu while as just 7000 kannals of land stand registered with Industrial Estate in Kashmir. So the Jammu based politicians and government of India should come clean on it and say who was the victim and the sufferer. Er Rasheed also said that in 1999 a survey carried by EDI Hyderabad reveals that there are 87% sick industrial units in Kashmir valley and Central government promised establishments of 100 Crores rupees special fund for their revival but not even a penny was released for the Kashmir division. He asked both state and central government not to play with the sentiments and aspirations of Kashmiris and remove the disparity at all levels with Kashmiri people.
Engineer said that it is shameful and tragedy that government of India is misleading world community by saying that it has given huge packages to Kashmiris to compensate the huge losses which they have suffered during last 25 years but the same are just being counted on their heads and given to Jammuties who have always enjoyed from the sufferings of Kashmiris but still have ungrateful to them. He termed cross LOC trade as a blind trade and said that it has made no difference as on date as common people of J&K have no excess directly or indirectly to the said trade.
