RAJOURI: Asserting that people want restoration of their honor and dignity, Apni Party President, Syed Mohammed Altaf Bukhari, on Saturday demanded the holding of much delayed Assembly Elections in Jammu and Kashmir for the empowerment of people.
“The people across J&K are feeling disempowered with the bureaucratic regime. On the other, the unnecessary delay in holding assembly elections has given rise to the feeling of alienation among the people which needs to be addressed at the earliest,” said Altaf Bukhari while addressing a public rally in the Rajouri district.
“The basic needs of the people whether electricity, clean drinking water, road, basic infrastructure for hospitals, and educational institutions are not available in Rajouri and its border villages due to the poor response from the bureaucrats. As the civil administration has completely collapsed, it is ample time to restore the confidence of the people who are feeling sidelined with no elected representative or Govt in place,” Bukhari said.
“The people in both the regions have a similar demand to restore statehood and hold Assembly Elections in J&K without delay,” he said and questioned, “If elections can be held in Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat and other states and UTs in the country, why they are delayed in J&K.”
He said that the people want their honor and dignity to be restored with the restoration of statehood.
He said that the Govt officials have harassed people in the name of the anti-encroachment drive, and formalities in old age pension schemes, but forget to complete the pending developmental projects. “The vacant posts in various Govt Departments of Rajouri district are vacant but no process to fulfill them was taken up. Even as the youth are on the roads demanding employment, the Govt has failed to advertise the vacant posts in various departments for their recruitment,” Bukhari said.
He criticized the recruitment agencies which has created mistrust among the aspiring youth in J&K for various jobs with the disclosure of recruitment scams.
“The situation is not favourable for the common man in J&K. The bureaucrats have failed to do anything for the welfare of J&K and its people. It has forced tendering process at the village level even in small works up to Rs 50000 in the name of transparency and ignored the local workers of the respective villages. The youth are unemployed, but the contractors who have nexus with the babus are getting contracts at the village level while the development has stalled with the non-availability of funds in most of the villages/ Panchayats in Rajouri,” he added highlighting concern raised by the people.
“The elected Govt is responsible to the people as it works for them. However, the babus are not answerable to the people. If we form the next Govt, we will hold that the officials ignoring developmental works and engaging the outsiders in village-level works will have to face the action under rules,” he said.
While denouncing the divisive forces, he said that the people have shown their faith in the Apni Party. He said that Apni Part will form the next Govt in J&K and all the regions will get equal representation.
“We will not allow the bulldozer politics to flourish in J&K. The people from all sections of society are against it. People want peace, prosperity, and development and the Apni Party is committed to providing stability and equitable development,” he added.
Besides, Senior Vice President of Apni Party, Ghulam Hassan Mir said that Apni Party believes, “The youth are the future of J&K as well as of the country. Hence, they should be guided towards the right track that leads them to peace and progress, but not to violence.”
