National Conference on Thursday hit out at the PDP-BJP dispensation for its “rank neglect” of Srinagar city’s developmental needs and economic growth.
“The continued indifference of the PDP-BJP government towards various crucial infrastructural requirements in Srinagar was a sad example of PDP’s incompetence and utter lack of vision,” NC general secretary Ali Muhammad Sagar said addressing the party’s block convention at Batamaloo here Thursday.
“PDP’s indifference towards Srinagar coupled with its clueless and vision-deficient governance had stalled the city’s growth and had directly affected its economic state of health,” Sagar said.
Hitting out at the PDP-BJP government, Sagar said various key developmental projects initiated by the previous Omar Abdullah-led government had either been abandoned or were being stalled due to “rank incompetence and lack of a political will” to develop the city.
“Whenever PDP has been in power, it has tried to erode the special status that the historical city,” Sagar said decrying government over its “interference in religious issues”. “Do you think people will forgive you for stopping prayers in Jamia Masjid for 48 consecutive weeks? Do you think people will forget that you imposed curfew on Eid and locked the doors of many masjids and dargahs?” he recounted.
Speaking on the occasion, NC provincial president Nasir Aslam Wani said “PDP’s false promises with the people of Srinagar stood exposed as there were no signs of development and infrastructure creation even after three years of the ruling alliance being in power.”
Wani said the previous Omar Abdullah-led government had initiated landmark developmental projects in Srinagar and had created a vast network of community halls, road upgradations and new bridges to meet the needs of the city and its people. “PDP’s policy towards Srinagar was that of indifference and confusion as even after three years the Government lacked an urban development policy for the summer capital,” he said.
Addressing the block convention, NC leader and former MLA Batamaloo, Irfan Ahmed Shah lashed out at the PDP-BJP Government for “offering nothing to the people of Batamaloo beyond false promises and slogans as there was no sign of development and basic governance on the ground level.”
“PDP was invested in partisan politics of persecution, nepotism and favoured a select coterie of its own kith and kin while ignoring the needs of Batamaloo constituency and its people,” he said.
The block convention was all attended by NC additional general secretary Dr. Sheikh Mustafa Kamal, senior leader and north zone president advocate Muhammad Akbar Lone and district president Srinagar Peer Muhammad Afaq besides senior office bearers and functionaries of the party.