Mufti demands free electricity for Doda

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti on Monday demanded free electricity for the people of the erstwhile Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir because residents of this belt have rights on the water flowing from their area.

Addressing a public meeting at Chatroo area of Kishtwar district, Mehbooba Mufti said that it was ironical that other parts of the country were benefited from the electricity generated from this region but inhabitants of this belt were neither getting power nor other basic amenities. She further said that residents of this belt have been facing displacement as well as ecological disaster due to construction of mega hydroelectric projects in their areas. “As real owner of the water flowing from their areas, the residents of erstwhile Doda district have right to get free electricity from the projects operating in their areas”, she demanded and argued that local area development programmes must also be started by the agencies managing these projects for the development of these backward areas. She strongly demanded that Kishtwar district should be properly compensated for the losses which people of this belt have been facing due to construction of mega hydro-electric projects.

Pointing towards poor road connectivity in Kishtwar district, Mehbooba Mufti demanded expediting of the work on Singthantop-Kishtwar road and completion of Vailoo tunnel at the earliest. She said that completion of Singthantop-Kishtwar road would open new avenues for this backward and neglected belt of the state. She said that due to poor road connectivity, accidents have become a routine affair.

PDP chief while expressing her concern over non availability of basic amenities like health, education and drinking water, demanded opening of a hospital at Mugal Maidan area which would cater need of the large population of this mountainous belt. “Health centres in this belt neither equipped with equipments nor staff is available in these health centres”, she said and added that health sector was in complete shamble.

Expressing her deep concern over non availability of basic amenities in this belt, PDP chief regretted that various Central sponsored poverty alleviation schemes were not reaching this belt due to nexus between contractors and influential persons. “Needy and deserving people are not getting benefits of the poverty alleviation schemes like MNREGA as these schemes implemented only on papers”, she pointed out and added that instead of properly implementing these schemes on ground level, such schemes were hijacked midway by the contractors and influential persons with the connivance of some people. “While as deserving and needy people denied jobs under MNREGA, influential persons are taking benefits of such schemes”, she regretted and added that some poor persons who were engaged under MNREGA were not given adequate wages.

“Although corruption has crossed all limits in this state, remotest areas are worst affected due to this menace”, she observed and added that due to lack of transparency and accountability, contractors and influential persons were pocketing funds meant for the upliftment and development of the poor people.

PDP president regretted that previous PDP-Congress regime had upgraded and opened a large number of schools in backward areas but the present regime has failed to streamline functioning of these institutions. “Most of the schools in Chatroo area are functioning without adequate staff”, she said and regretted that instead of taking effective steps to streamlining functioning of vital sectors like health and education, this regime was more concerned about giving false assurances to the people.
PDP chief reminded the gathering that previous coalition regime had formulated various developmental projects for the backward and neglected areas but the present government has failed to complete those projects. She especially mentioned various projects implemented and sanctioned for Kishtwar district by the previous coalition.

Ved Mahajan, Shanti Devi, Vijay Dogra, Sayeed Asgar Ali, Rehmatullah Malik, Shaqir Saddiqui, Rayaz Zarger, Shabbir Lone, Puran Chand, Rehman Kashmiri Sarpanch, Abdul Rehman and others also addressed the meeting.