Bhaderwah : National Conference Vice President Omar Abdullah on Wednesday expressed disappointment over the step-motherly treatment being meted out to regions in Chenab valley by the incumbent administration.
Addressing a public meeting at the main town in Bhaderwah, Omar Abdullah said credit goes to NC for bringing neglected Chenab Valley region on the development radar. “Chenab region remained neglected and marginalized for decades altogether due to the discriminatory policies propagated by the non-NC state governments. It was only during NC led governments that this region was brought on the developmental map and a comprehensive tourism, education, health, electricity infrastructure came up,” he said adding, “During our tenure, we had formulated a complete plan for the overall growth of this region. But the successive governments and the current central rule liquidated all the gains made by NC in its stints in power.”
Stating that only NC can ensure equitable and balanced development of all the regions and sub-regions of Jammu and Kashmir, Omar said, “Systematic efforts are being made to divide the people of Chenab on the basis of region and religion. The massive infrastructure development in Bhaderwah in our tenure unnerved such forces. It is our disunity that helped these anti-J&K forces to realise their goals. What happened is before us. The state stands bifurcated, downgraded and shorn of its special constitutional status.”
Omar further said that as and when the central rules end, NC will strive for a divisional status to the entire Chenab region. He said that the tourism potential of the beautiful valley is immense and needs to be tapped to remove unemployment among the educated and skilled youth of the region. “National Conference, as and when central rule ends, is committed to bring big tourism projects to the region including Gondola cable car projects,” he said.
