Doda, Sep 15: Blaming successive National Conference (NC) regimes for the backwardness and underdevelopment of Chenab Valley area, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) President Mehbooba Mufti on Thursday said that this belt has huge natural resources in the form of water and forest but due to the “wrong policies” of the NC governments this entire belt remained neglected and ignored.
 Addressing a public meeting in this hilly district, the PDP president Mehbooba Mufti said that entire state has been bearing brunt of the discriminatory water agreements signed by the NC regimes but Chenab Valley belt was the worst victims of these grossly unfair agreements. “Although natural resources of this belt have been senselessly exploited, no benefit has been given to inhabitants of Chenab Valley who have first rights on these resources,” she regretted and pointed out that exploitation of natural resources has led to ecological imbalance in the area besides displacement of hundreds of families.
 Referring to the acute backwardness of the Chenab Valley region, she said it was ironical that while other parts of the country were benefited by the water flowing from it, the region itself was steeped in darkness and further moving towards backwardness and underdevelopment. She said the arrangement signed by the NC regimes with the different agencies did not even provide employment to local people who were forced to look for menial jobs elsewhere.
 She assured the people to fight for restoration of this area’s rights over its resources.
 She supported demand of the people that they should be given free or subsidized power from the hydro electric projects constructed on the river Chenab.
 She demanded that inhabitants of Chenab Valley must be compensated in all forms for the losses they suffered due to discriminatory and arbitrary exploitation of their water resources.
 Taking a dig at NC leadership for its failure to properly utilize natural resources, she said it was tragic that a state so rich in resources that it could be cash surplus was converted into a virtual begging bowl as a result of NC’s lust for power.
 Reiterating her party’s resolve to ensure justice to all regions and sub-regions, PDP chief said the Self Rule proposal was about empowerment of all sections of society irrespective of cast creed or religion.
 She supported the demand of Chenab Valley Regional Council to enable people of this belt to plan and execute development projects at local levels.
 Strongly demanding powers for newly elected Panchayat members, she flayed the government for adopting delay tactics in strengthening Panchayati Raj Institutions in the state. “It is paradoxical that NC leadership demands autonomy for the state but the same party is denying constitutional rights to the newly elected Panchayat members”, she said and observed that decentralizing powers at grass root level was in the hands of the state government.

Lastupdate on : Thu, 15 Sep 2011 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Thu, 15 Sep 2011 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Fri, 16 Sep 2011 00:00:00 IST