GK NEWS NETWORK
Srinagar, Oct 29: Breaking his prolonged silence, senior PDP leader and former Finance Minister, Tariq Hameed Karra Saturday pulled up National Conference led coalition government saying the party turned this “historic City into virtual slum” and delivered nothing except “dogs, darkness and drugs” for the Srinagarites.
 “After already having achieved the dubious distinction of being the country’s fourth dirtiest City – Srinagar – is, as per a latest survey by some NGOs, soon going to achieve another record of sorts by becoming the first City in the country where dogs outnumber the humans,” Karra said in a statement.
 Karra, who is also former MLA Batamaloo, said “even the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh during his visit to the Valley in June last year couldn’t stop himself from expressing concern over the plight of the City.”
 He said the Valley’s youth in general and in Srinagar particularly are “being forced into drug addiction to make them incapacitated for any productive work.”
 “Srinagar has been transformed into a virtual slum through the myopic policies of the successive NC regimes,” he said adding that while the government was in slumber, the “City is facing chronic issues of sanitation, hygiene, drinking water supply, drainage and power shortage.”
 “Getting even basic minimum electricity has become a luxury, drinking water has become scarce, rations are drying up at the depots and timber is not in sight anywhere,” he said.
 Karra said even after spending crores of rupees, the Srinagar Municipal Corporation has “absolutely no idea how to tackle the growing dog menace with the canines having become a huge danger for the people.”
 Accusing the ruling National Conference of having “exploited the Srinagarites for power”, Karra said: “The history is witness that the NC leadership has given nothing in return to the City except exploiting its residents for political gains.”
 “Even today the NC leaders are playing the same old exploitative political game with the City and its residents,” he said adding that instead of taking new initiatives towards the betterment of civic amenities in Srinagar, the present government has in fact “failed to build on the initiatives taken by the previous PDP-led coalition government for the betterment the City.”
 Karra said the much-trumpeted employment policy and voluntary service allowance are the “big jokes played by the government with the unemployed youth and they are being thrown into jails.”
 “Reminding the present government of its pre-poll commitments with the people,” Karra said “the National Conference had promised to give round-the-clock electricity at subsidized rates and provide jobs to around two lakh youth, immediately after taking over.”
  “Unfortunately, while we are now seeing round-the-clock darkness because of non-availability of electricity, on the unemployment front, the already employed are now being shown the exit door,” he said.
 Karra said there is “not a single tangible initiative that this government has pioneered during last three years of its tenure.”

Lastupdate on : Sat, 29 Oct 2011 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Sat, 29 Oct 2011 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Sun, 30 Oct 2011 00:00:00 IST