Srinagar, May 22: The Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah, on Saturday described unemployment as a bigger concern than gun.   
 “For the past 17-years entire state machinery has been focusing on gun culture prevalent and not much heed has been paid towards addressing other issues,” Omar said while addressing a function at SKICC here.
 The Chief Minister said a recent survey had revealed that there are more than five lakh unemployed youth in the state. “Unemployment is a bigger concern than gun today,” he added.    
 Omar reiterated that it was not possible for the state government to provide jobs to all the unemployed youth. “If everyone will wait to get a government job then the problem of unemployment will never end. There is no country in this world and no state in this country where the problem of unemployment is solved through government jobs. We will try to accommodate as many people as we can but youth have to look for other opportunities as well,” Omar said.
 The Chief Minister said that it was his family which decades before ended feudal system in JK. 
 “People of the state particularly farmers have not forgotten the revolutionary step taken by my grandfather Sheri-I- Kashmir, Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah, by bringing the historical Land to Tiller act,” Omar said.
 He said since then farmers and tillers have become masters of their land. “The party and the family which I belong to has been working relentlessly for the cause of farmers,” he added.
 “We have forgotten the importance of agriculture sector. Nearly 70 per cent of the population is associated with the sector either directly or indirectly,” he added.
Omar said that Kashmiris have started to believe that our state would progress only if there is progress in cities. “The fact is that the development of rural areas is as important as that of urban areas,” he added.

Lastupdate on : Sat, 22 May 2010 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Sat, 22 May 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Sun, 23 May 2010 00:00:00 IST