Renzu calls on contractors sitting on dharna at Rajbagh Srinagar, demands clearance of pending payments

Srinagar: Addressing contractors who are on Dharna in Srinagar in Rajbagh Engineering for last several days, Khawaja Farooq Renzu highlighted contribution of builders of Nation in Kashmir Development. He said that it is necessary that all contractors of Kashmir should disassociate themselves from politicians whose roles have now remained limited to emotional slogans only. He said it is because of wrong political leadership from 1947 till date the valley of Kashmir has reached to such disastrous situation. At present there is complete economic depression only in Kashmir which is accelerating with alarming speed. He said that 32 crores works executed by these contractors during 2014 flood have been done on verbal instructions of CM of the time and SDRF funds inspite of availability were not released by subsequent political regime on political grounds and still it is being delayed. Similarly under much hyped Srinagar . Development programme 700 crores of works were executed under verbal orders of the CM of time in 2015 but later on no one owned it till date. However release of 200 crores proves that these works are justified. He said that blockade of rest of 500 crores to these protesting contractors is most alarming particularly at present time when elections were imposed in Kashmir during start of tourist season. He said that Tourism industry in Kashmir is on ventilator and if again early Assembly elections between June to September were imposed for a convenience of other regions the tourist traders may commit suicide like farmers. He said that Governor Administration should develop close affinity with people of Kashmir in present crises and top commissioners and secretaries should interact with protesting contractors to solve this alarming problem created by previous regimes for their political interests. He advised president of contractors and thousands of contractors associated with them to ensure that they disassociate themselves from political entities so that Kashmir Development is actually kept conflict free and politics free. He said that even for bad planning they should express their resentment like bad and foolish idea of underwater road constructed few months before 2014 flood between Mahjoor Nagar & Jawahar Nagar which was not only fiasco but caused drowning of civil lines area including Rajbagh, Jawahar Nagar, Lal chowk. He said that in 2014 city was deliberately drowned for reasons unknown by wrongly diverting flow of jehlum since then Kashmir economy is in shambles and politicians preferred hurried election in flood than to provide relief to victims with plea that later on in tourist season and yatra season elections can’t be held. Even foreign aid coming to flood victims of Kashmir was not allowed to flow by greedy politicians who were keen in hurried elections for their power than mitigating problems.
Renzushah said that present Governor is development oriented person. On our request he got Air tariff slashed for Kashmir. He hoped that team of officers will be constituted to negotiate with protesting contractors to solve their problem and Kashmir society international will cooperate for same. He advised contractors not to paralyse fully developmental works in Kashmir as it will collapse all systems.