KL Report
Srinagar
Jammu and Kashmir Contractors Coordination Committee (JKCCCC) has alleged that the only aim of the recent cabinet re-shuffle in the state cabinet was to handover charge of important portfolios to Non-Kashmiri ministers. Terming it as ‘unfortunate’ the JKCCCC said, “What the Kashmiris failed to notice was the handing over of the charge of some key departments to the Babus from Jammu. It was just a ploy to pave the way for development of Jammu at the cost of Kashmir,”.
Contending the decision, the Valley based civic contractors observed that the “sinister design” in the decision has gone ‘unnoticed’ among the people in Kashmir.
General Secretary of (JKCCCC), Farooq Ahmad Dar said, “sole motive of the handing over the portfolios concerned with the development sector was just to benefit the Jammu region and inflict more miseries on the Kashmiris,”.
“Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah may have got a pat on his back for resting his close aides and switching over the responsibility of their jobs into hands of Babus from Jammu, but, he will have to answer for the disaster he has threatened for the economic development in Kashmir. The re-shuffle is just another plank to push the economic and infrastructural development back to the Stone Age in Kashmir,” Dar alleged.
He added, “by reposing trust in ministers from Jammu, Omar Abdullah has erred to a great deal. He may bask in its glory now, but will suffer from its repercussions during the 2014 assembly elections”.
Elaborating further, Dar said that important sectors like R&B, Housing and Urban Development, PHE, Irrigation and Flood Control , CA&PD, Power and Information and MoS Home went into the kitty of ministers from outside the Valley.
“Kashmiri politicians have been made to eat a humble pie. The charge of these important portfolios should have been wrested in their hands as they have remained bereft from it for the last 10 years. The responsibility of MoS Home, at least, should have been given to a Kashmiri politician,” Dar said.
Informing that the state government owes an outstanding amount of rupees 5,000 crores to the civic contractors in Kashmir, Dar said that the said amount should be released forthwith as the contractors are debt ridden.
