KL NEWS NETWORK
SRINAGAR
Minister for Public Works, Floriculture and Gardens & Parks Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari and Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs Syed Basharat Bukhari Monday reviewed the pace of work on various developmental projects including new assembly complex in Jammu.
The two ministers also visited the new assembly complex and found the pace of work satisfactory. On this occasion the visiting ministers were informed by the executing agency that the work on new assembly complex will be completed by April 2017.
However, the Minister for Public Works asked the executing agency that the government wants to incentivize the project if the same is completed by December 2016. The Minister Public Works said that the government is keen to hold budget session-2017 in the new assembly complex in Jammu if the project meets the proposed deadline.
On the sidelines of another meeting, Minister for Public Works expressed his deep disappointment on trivializing establishment of AIIMS, IITS and IIMCs in the State. He said that despite huge ideological and political differences, PDP had joined hands with BJP to give Jammu and Kashmir a new direction under the leadership of Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed whose vision is to bring people closer by bridging regional gaps within the State.
“Instead of adhering to Mufti Saheb’s vision of togetherness and equal opportunities, it seems our fellow colleagues are bogged down on issues of derived importance. I would request my Honb’le colleagues in the cabinet to stick to and implement Mufti Saheb’s agenda of peace, political stability and the development rather than crying hoarse on issues of secondary importance,” the Minister for Public Works remarked.
Bukhari said that for Mufti Saheb forging an alliance with BJP was not to seek power but to respect the fractured verdict that provided both the parties an opportunity to script history by addressing trust deficit between the people of regions and sub regions in the State. “I would request my Honb’le colleagues that instead of propagating their divergent opinions to prop up chaos and confusion, they should contribute in implementation of Mufti Saheb’s inclusive agenda of growth and prosperity,” Bukhari remarked.
On a question seeking clarification about Deputy Chief Minister Dr Nirmal Singh’s latest interview that Rs 3600 Crores are sufficient for rehabilitation of flood victims in Kashmir, Bukhari said the remarks of deputy chief minister have shocked him not only as a Minister but in capacity of a flood victim who has personally witnessed the scale of devastation during September floods. “Even Rs 44000 Crores financial package as was proposed by the previous government is in no way sufficient to compensate the losses suffered by the people during devastating deluge in September 2014. Dr Nirmal Ji’s figures have shocked me as I don’t know where from he got these superficial statistics,” Bukhari said while advising his cabinet colleagues to desist from making irresponsible statements that create confusion among flood victims of Kashmir.
He said that Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed’s endeavour is to address the legacy of loss which is coupled with a sense of alienation due to decades of neglect, lack of development, empowerment and employment in all the three regions of the State. “Our Common Minimum Programme that aims at good governance and building bridges to narrow down the gaps should have been our guiding principle. I would humbly request my cabinet colleagues again to refrain from creating a precarious situation that will lead us nowhere,” Bukhari added.
Asked about the state government’s latest initiatives aimed at decongesting Srinagar city from frequent traffic snarls, Bukhari said that he is dismayed over the way traffic is being handled in Srinagar.
“I don’t have any qualms to admit that sofar we have failed to give Srinagar a requisite respite from frequent traffic jams. Similarly on other developmental issues in Srinagar, I agree that no significant breakthrough has been achieved sofar,” the minister Public Works observed.
Senior officers of Public Works Department and Jammu and Kashmir Project Construction Corporation (JKPCC) accompanied the two ministers.
