KARRA SEEKS WHITE PAPER ON H&UDD FUND ALLOCATION,UTILIZATION; SAYS CITY MLAS FACILITATING DISEMPOWERMENT

Srinagar, Jan 25: Senior Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader  Tariq Hameed Karra on Wednesday came down heavily on the National Conference (NC) led government stating that funds meant for Srinagar development were being diverted while the concerned MLAs, all belonging to the ruling NC were “facilitating disempowerment” of this historic City. 
 Karra, a former Minister Housing and Urban Development Department, said there was “brazen disparity” in allocation of funds from the H&UDD adding that the City was being victimized. The elected representatives, he said, were maintaining deliberate silence.
 Karra demanded a white paper on allocation and utilization of funds against various schemes in the housing and urban development sector during the past three years.
 “Time has come to let the conscious residents of Srinagar know how their eight elected representatives, including one cabinet minister and two with ministerial status, are facilitating destruction of this historic City by intentionally closing their eyes to the discrimination in allocation and utilization of funds in the urban development sector,” Karra said in a statement.
 He said it was most unfortunate that even the funds to the tune of crores of rupees earmarked for Dal lake conservation are being diverted and around Rs 12 crore released by the Government of India in 2009-10 for development and beautification of shrines in the City are being, under a well designed plan, withheld by the H&UDD.
 “The upsetting revelations that have come to fore at the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) meeting Tuesday on disparity in allocation and utilization of funds in Housing and Urban Development Department have exposed the collusion of the elected representatives of Srinagar in this covert game-plan aimed at disempowering the City on the development and economic fronts,” Karra said.
 “People of Srinagar have the right to ask their elected representatives, some of whom pretend to be highly vocal on cosmetic developmental issues, why this historic city and its hapless inhabitants are being subjected to such injustices on every count,” Karra said adding “emancipated Srinagarites can’t be anymore befooled by hollow promises and emotional political slogans.”
 “They will seek answers to whatever is being done with them,” he said.
 The former MLA Batamaloo said what could be more ironical than the fact that even the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s Ganderbal constituency has been a “victim of this blatant discrimination.”
  “When Chief Minister couldn’t secure developmental funds for his own constituency, what could we expect from the political lot around him, who keep on struggling for their survival on day-to-day basis,” Karra said and added that last year Rs 30 crore were diverted in R&B Department, headed by Chief Minister, from Kashmir valley to other regions.(GKNN)

Lastupdate on : Wed, 25 Jan 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Wed, 25 Jan 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Thu, 26 Jan 2012 00:00:00 IST