Kulgam, June 16: Blaming some leaders of Government employees of playing with the future of unemployed youth for their vested interests, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today ruled out enhancement in the retirement age of state employees.
“We have accepted all the demands of the employees which include implementation of sixth pay commission, release of 100 percent of their arrears when they were asking for only 50 percent and hike in Dearness Allowance (DA). But unfortunately some union leaders of the employees who are on the verge of retirement are for their own vested interests misleading the employees,” Omar said while speaking to media persons after laying the foundation stone of a Degree College in Kellam area of Devsar constituency.
“These union leaders for their own petty interests are playing with the future of our educated and unemployed youth and snatching their bread and butter. But let me make it clear that I won’t let it happen,” said Omar.
Warning the employees against going on strikes and protests, Omar said that keeping in view the present unemployment crisis in the state it was very difficult for the government to take any decision on the enhancement of retirement age for the moment.
“The employees should end the path of confrontation and come forward for talks as by going on strikes and resorting to violence is not going to yield them anything. We have kept the doors of dialogue open and I appeal them to come forward for talks so that they also get something they can contend with while at the same time the future of the unemployed youth is also secured. But if they continue with the strikes and protests instead of choosing the path of dialogue the retirement age will remain as 58,” said Omar.
Backing the nomination of Pranab Mukherjee as the Presidential candidate, Omar said, “There can’t be a better choice than him for the post of President and I am very much optimistic that he will emerge as the next President of the country.”
Earlier, while addressing a public gathering, Omar recounted some of the achievements of the government.
“Our government has been striving to provide efficient, transparent, people-friendly and accountable governance to the people,” said Omar.
He said that the successful Panchayat elections have been one of the major achievements of the government and the Panchayat representatives should use their powers to serve the people in rural areas.
“The government cannot be run from secretariat so the devolution of powers from secretariat to villages is must for strengthening democracy at grass root levels. The Panchayats have been enshrined with lot of powers and they should use them for the betterment of people in rural areas,” said Omar.
Omar said that implementations of Right to Information Act (RTI), Public Service Guarantee Act (PSGA), empowering State Vigilance Commission (SVC) and Accountability Commission are some of the landmark achievements of the government.
Asking people to make distinction between real and false healing touch, Chief Minister listed the measures his government has taken to heal the wounds of the people affected by militancy in the state.
Omar Abdullah said that the rehabilitation policy, passports to relatives of militants, reduction in the footprints of security forces, removal of bunkers, focusing attention on political addressing of political issues, zero tolerance against rights violations, people-centric Standing Operating Procedures (SOP) and many other steps his government has taken during the last three years differentiate the ‘Asli’ healing touch from the ‘Nakli’ one propagated by PDP during their time.
“This also distinguishes mere slogans from solid actions”, he added.
Taking a dig at the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for ‘unleashing a false propaganda’ against the National Conference (NC), Omar said, “Our party doesn’t believe in mere sloganeering and rhetoric like PDP but what we promise we implement it without raising hull bulla.”
He said that much publicized healing touch policy of the PDP turned to be a hoax and now the party was launching a hate campaign against the NC by spreading rumors.
“Let me tell PDP that they cannot befool the people any more as they very well understand that their politics is based on fraud, deceit and opportunism,” said Omar.
He said that the party raising slogan of healing touch opposed the rehabilitation policy in the legislature when in power.
“It is NC-Congress coalition government which framed and implemented the rehabilitation policy making way for these persons to return and live a peaceful life. This is called the real healing touch”, he said and also referred to the decision of his government to do away with the blacklist of relatives of the militants maintained by the Police Department during the PDP tenure for refusing passports. He said that any relative of the militants who is not involved in militancy related issues is now getting passports like other common citizens.
Giving details of the achievements his government has registered during the last three years, Omar Abdullah said that in Devsar Constituency alone which is represented by PDP MLA his government has spent more than Rs 30 crores on construction and upgradation of roads and bridges during the last three years and another Rs. 11.50 crores have been earmarked for the current year.
“We are not like ‘pen and inkpot party’ (PDP) to starve the areas which were represented by the National Conference during the period when this party was in power”, he said asserting that justice is the benchmark of his government and reaching out people in all areas equitably is the policy of present dispensation.
Omar Abdullah said that in Devsar constituency a bridge at Kelam Gund is under construction at a cost of Rs. 11.60 crores and 41 kilometers of roads in the constituency have been macadamized and metalled. He said that about a dozen water supply schemes at a cost of Rs. 18 crores have been completed while half a dozen such schemes are under execution. He said 7 irrigation and flood control schemes at a cost of Rs. 20 crores are in hand while Rs. 8 crores have been spent in the constituency to promote trade and tourism. He said Mir Bazar Power Grid Station has been completed last year and two receiving stations are being commissioned this year.  “These achievements itself reject the propaganda of PDP against the working of his government”, he asserted.
The public meeting was also addressed by Minister for Public Enterprises, Peerzada Mohammad Sayed, Minister for Higher Education, AG Malik,  Parliamentarian Dr. Mehboob Beg, Minister for Social Welfare, Sakina Itoo, Minister of State for Cooperation, Dr. Manahor Lal, Legislators, Dr. Bashir Ahmad Veeri and Muhamad Amin Bhat.
Earlier, the Chief Minister laid the foundation of Degree College Building at Kilim to be constructed at a cost of Rs. 12.50 crores during the period of two years. The college is being established over an area of 81 kanals of land and the building project envisages construction of classrooms, laboratory, library and administrative blocks.
The Chief Minister expressed the hope that the infrastructure would relieve the students from various difficulties they face in receiving higher education in a rented building at present.

Lastupdate on : Sat, 16 Jun 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Sat, 16 Jun 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Sun, 17 Jun 2012 00:00:00 IST