Srinagar: National Conference (NC) President Dr Farooq Abdullah on Thursday listed in detail the achievements of his party governments in past and said that the sacrifices made by his colleagues during last 35 years is an answer to the accusation of Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
In a statement, Dr Farooq said, “ Yesterday HM Amit Shah Ji asked me to account for the development that took place during the years JKNC has been in power. He was trying to suggest that nothing had been achieved and that NC had wasted away its time in office with nothing to show.”
He added that he does not wish to get side tracked by some of the other things that were said about guns and stones. “The sacrifices of my colleagues over the last 35 years where scores of NC leaders and workers have been killed or injured by these very guns Amit Shah ji accused us of distributing is the only answer this accusation needs,” Farooq said.
NC President stated that J&K has witnessed eras of development, ushering its people into political, economic and social empowerment. “Despite the decades of turmoil, J&K state rose to the top among Indian states in terms of major development indices. The list could be broader, more exhaustive.
Today the literacy rate in J&K is 77 percent. Infant mortality is less than 20, maternal mortality is 46. Life expectancy is 74. Population growth rate is 11 percent. The incumbent regime has and may again claim credit for all of this but propaganda and facts are two different things,” he said.
Dr Farooq added that he has listed some of the achievements of various NC governments from 1947 to 2014. “This list is by no means complete but is a snap shot of some of the work done. Ultimately people will be the judge of what has and what has not been achieved. Perhaps now Amit Shah ji can share with the people of J&K what has been achieved in the last three and half years of central rule in J&K,” he said.
Dr Farooq added that the single line administration was instituted, land to tiller followed by abolition of big landed estates.
These were the revolutionary acts that gave land to landless peasants paved way for social and economic upliftment of cross section of people irrespective of region, religion.
Free education was made up to university level, the Universities of Jammu and Kashmir established, adult education centers established, jabri schools established, district development boards constituted, Gujjar and Bakarwal advisory board, SKIMS, State of the art healthcare and medical education institute established, SKUAST, a farm university aimed to propel growth in agriculture production established, government women’s college established, 50 percent reservation for women in medical and dental colleges, Panchayat Raj Institution established and elections held and urban local body elections held.