Mehbooba attacks Omar govt over silence on public issue, failure on promises in J&K

PDP president Mehbooba Mufti on Sunday slammed the Omar Abdullah government for its failure to deliver on key promises such as unemployment, alleging job and transfer appointments were influenced through money and political connections. Criticising Chief Minister Abdullah's ''silence'' on inflation, closure of educational institutions, alleged surveillance in mosques and Iran, Mehbooba said the National Conference government was given enough time after coming to power, but had failed to address public grievances. ''It has been nearly one-and-a-half years since this government came to power. We remained silent and told our people not to oppose the National Conference. ''We said give them six months, one year, and then we will see what they do. Today they have 50 seats, but even now, they only focus on their own interest and nothing else,'' she said, addressing party workers during an outreach programme in Poonch. Mehbooba, a former J-K chief minister, alleged that employees were being removed from jobs, surveillance was being carried out in mosques and educational institutions were being shut down without the chief minister raising his voice. ''A school like Siraj-ul-Uloom, where poor children studied and became doctors and engineers, was shut down, and Omar sahib remained silent. Unemployment has increased so much, yet Omar sahib is silent. Inflation has skyrocketed, yet Omar sahib is silent,'' she said. ''A major tragedy happened in Iran, but Omar sahib did not speak a word. Our martyrs were killed, and Omar sahib remained silent. At every stage, Omar Sahib stayed silent.'' The PDP chief also alleged irregularities in government recruitment and transfer processes. They are ''secretly and quietly appointing people to jobs - you may not know this. How are they doing it?'' ''They give contracts, saying, 'You have to appoint 5,000 employees in this department, we will give you commission.' But who actually pays? The National Conference MLAs and their ministers give their lists- and you already know this, I do not need to explain it'', she alleged. Hitting out at the NC government's poll promise of providing 1 lakh jobs, she said ''Our youth are waiting, believing that 1 lakh jobs will be provided. But where will these jobs come from, when officials themselves have to beg at different doors for transfers, paying Rs 20 lakh, Rs 25 lakh, even Rs 30 lakh before a transfer takes place? These habits of theirs have still not changed,'' she alleged. Mehbooba alleged that the Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University lacked permanent faculty, and salaries were not being paid on time. ''Is it not their responsibility to see why a university named after Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah Sahib does not even have a registrar? Why are salaries not paid on time there? Why are there no permanent professors? This is not my job alone. It is the responsibility of chief minister,'' she said. The PDP, she said, had brought a bill to protect poor people, especially Gujjars and tribals, from eviction and demolition of their homes. ''But Omar sahib termed the people of Jammu and Kashmir as land grabbers.'' Mehbooba reiterated her demand for greater administrative empowerment for the Pir Panjal and Chenab regions, including a separate divisional setup and ''hill district status'' for Mendhar. She said unemployment and inflation had pushed people into distress, claiming electricity bills and cooking gas prices had increased sharply over the years. ''Earlier, electricity bills used to be Rs 500 and now they are Rs 3,000. Gas cylinders which cost Rs 400 now cost Rs 1,000. Even dal and roti have become expensive. But the CM remains silent,'' she said. The former chief minister urged youth not to lose hope and asked party workers to strengthen grassroots representation in panchayats and local bodies. Referring to the situation in Iran, Mehbooba said courage and determination were necessary to face difficult circumstances. ''We too will face our challenges with courage, and together we will bring Jammu and Kashmir out of this crisis.'' She also slammed Abdullah over the Urdu issue. The government has recently announced that any patwari or employee appointed in the Revenue Department must be a graduate in Urdu.

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