Srinagar: Several Union ministers will indulge in a big outreach programme in the newly created Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, while looking for ground reports about different developmental schemes brought here following abrogation of Article 370 on 5 August last year.
While the Centre has said that 36 Union ministers will spread awareness about the benefits of scrapping Article 370, the Congress has slammed the government for the same. Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad told the media that BJP leaders from the Centre are coming to “celebrate the destruction” of J&K caused by them by taking away the special status of this place.
While the outreach programme would focus on the Jammu region where about 50 programmes would be held with the people, only seven programmes are scheduled to be held in Kashmir, reports said. Recently, the Kashmir Chambers of Commerce and Industry had released a report about the losses suffered by trade and commerce in Kashmir and the growing unemployment following the clampdown. According to the report, the losses in total could touch Rs one lakh crore in the past six months, while 10 lakh youth have lost their jobs in the private sector alone. “When the Centre abrogated Article 370, it claimed that it will give a new push to development in Kashmir and people were expecting better days. Now, they are suffering on all fronts with zero investment so far,” a former Finance Minister and People’s Democratic Party (PDP) leader who quit the party told the media. He added that earlier, the J&K government had some financial powers, but now everything has been handed over to the Union Home Minister by downgrading J&K to the status of a Union Territory.
With internet services still not fully restored and “only promises for restoration of normal life”, common people in Kashmir valley seem to have little hope in the visit of Union ministers. “We are reeling under problems. Power supply is not being restored in most areas following heavy snowfall. The administration is not visible anywhere and common people are suffering. Developmental work has stopped since 5 August,” said Shahnawaz Bhat, an unemployed youth who lost his job in the tourism sector.
Local BJP leaders are claiming that it will take them some time to fix the problems in J&K and the results would be visible only after a few years. “There has been rampant corruption in J&K for the last 70 years. It will take some time to clean the system and people have to bear with us for a better future,” said Jammu-based Union Minister Dr Jitandra Singh.