Don’t take Jammu for granted: Rana

Jammu: Vehemently pitching for safeguarding the interests and satiating the aspirations of the people of the Jammu region—Lakhanpur to Banihal and Doda-Kishtwar to Poonch-Rajouri, National Conference Provincial President Mr Devender Singh Rana today hoped that the administration will show sensitivity and seriousness in empowering the region and its people on all fronts
“Don’t take Jammu for granted”, Rana cautioned while interacting with various delegations here this afternoon, saying the self-proclaimed champions of the Jammu cause have let down those who gave them massive mandate. Instead of remaining indebted to the voters for their unflinching and unexpected support in the wake of an electoral wave, the chosen representatives turned arrogant and inaccessible once getting into the cradle of power, he added.
Rana said the National Conference cannot compromise with Jammu interest and will work towards equitable development and progress of each region and sub-regions which is reflected in the document compiled by the party years ago. This is imperative for the harmonious growth of Jammu and Kashmir, which has passed through most turbulent phase and is craving for a level playing field with other parts of the country on all fronts, he maintained.
He recalled the sincere efforts made during different spells of National Conference government and regretted that the entire development exercise undertaken over the years got halted due to administrative naivety and vested interest of those at the helm. This came as a rude shock to the people who are still struggling to come out of the trauma unleashed in the nightmarish rule, he said and lamented that the Jammu interest was hugely compromised in recent years, especially during the coalition dispensations in three years between 2015 and 2019, which witnessed the region getting neglected in respect of development, implementation of welfare schemes and even the employment, thus exposing the self-styled Messiahs, who willingly assumed the role of tormentors of the Jammu pride.
The Provincial President said that the reward Jammu people got for mandating the self-seekers to power is being borne by every segment of society, especially the educated unemployed, who have been denied employment opportunities. He said that by ignoring the legitimate interests of Jammu region, the perpetrators of exploitation have injured the self-respect of its people. Irony of the betrayal is that those inflicting scars on the Jammu psyche believe that Jammuties can’t see through their vested interest and game plan, he maintained. Rana said the National Conference has and will continue to raise the issues facing the people of J&K and fight the injustice meted out to them, irrespective of region, sub-region and religion.