Restoration of statehood imperative for addressing public issues: J&KPCC chief

Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) President, Tariq Hameed Karra, on Sunday reiterated its demand for the restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir and said it is imperative for addressing the public issues.
“If the Government of India wants to run the system for which the elections were held on certain aspects, the restoration of statehood is imperative and necessary,” he told media persons here.
Karra said people are complaining they voted keeping in view that their grievances would be redressed, which were not being heard during the past 10 years of a particular administration and still are not being looked into by the present administration.
“A peculiar situation is being created among the common man, as he feels that the right of vote he exercised to strengthen the democratic system by which an elected government came into existence is not redressing the issues,” he alleged.
“There are several inter cases in the administration which are not being settled out till now,” Karra said.
The Congress party’s stand from day one was to restore the statehood to Jammu and Kashmir, the PCC chief said.
He alleged a cynicism is being created among the people in the present system of the administration.
Karra said that the people should not lose trust in the administrative system if the statehood is not restored immediately.
He feared the delay in restoration of statehood was being done with a particular conspiracy to fail the
democratically elected system,” he said, adding, “the system which is being run by the bureaucracy seems deliberately working on the directions coming from somewhere due to which the right issues of the people are not being redressed.”
He said the officers are also confused as to which administration they have to work and where they are answerable, due to which the faith in the democratic system and the issues of the common people become a casualty.
Karra noted there are several public issues including electricity tariff, smart metres, unemployment and various other developments, which the coalition partners had promised in their manifestos to be addressed after formation of new government, are still pending.
“The confusion being created, as I understand, is a perpetrated attempt to derail the system,” he said and stated that “I, as an alliance partner, urge my alliance partner which has a major role in running the administration to adopt a pro-active approach to take cognizance of all these issues with the central government and with the local administration so that people should not lose their faith in the democratic process.”
The Congress party held a two-day review meeting of all the 10 districts of Kashmir valley, during which the organizational affairs and activities were discussed.
In this meeting, threadbare discussions were also held over the upcoming challenges and resolved to further strengthen the Congress party for the benefit and betterment of the people.
UNI