Srinagar, Apr 14: PDP President Mehbooba Mufti has urged the Lieutenant Governor (LG) Manoj Sinha to reconsider the decision on humanitarian grounds regarding blacklisting of the contractors.
According to a press note, the former chief minister has also written a letter to LG in this connection after meeting a delegation of contractors recently blacklisted by the UT administration.
“The letter denounces the administration's decision to blacklist contractors on mere assumptions of links with militants. Mehbooba's critical letter mentions that the majority of the contractors blacklisted by the LG administration don't have a militant past and have had no involvement in violent activities. Others had given up the path of militancy long before turning contractors,” the press release said.
It added that the letter also highlights the policy adopted by previous governments vis-a-vis those who gave up the path of violence and wanted to return to normal life.
"...their decision to do so was fraught with many dangerous consequences. Many were gunned down for making a choice that was viewed as a betrayal", quotes the letter while describing the difficult transition of these contractors and others who shunned the gun.
“In her letter, Mehbooba recalls that it was Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, the then Chief Minister of J&K, who advocated for financial aid to victims of militancy including the orphans of insurgents. The rehabilitation package was implemented during the tenure of PM Vajpayee,” the press release added.
