SRINAGAR: Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, Manoj Sinha criticised mainstream political parties on Monday for opposing land allocation to the landless, stating that these individuals bear responsibility for the deaths of 50,000 innocent people.
“These individuals cannot tolerate peace because they do not desire it. They have been inciting the populace, leading to street violence and the closure of schools and colleges. These individuals are culpable for the deaths of 40,000 to 50,000 innocent citizens in J&K,” the LG stated while addressing a three-day national workshop on Parish Councils with Good Governance at the Convention Centre here. However, he refrained from naming any specific political party or individual.
Notably, National Conference Vice-President Omar Abdullah had questioned the identity of the homeless and landless individuals in J&K, while PDP Chief Mehbooba Mufti had also cast doubts on the allocation of land and homes to the “homeless.”
LG, addressing Parish Council members, inquired whether they could cite a single instance where land or a home had been provided to a non-J&K resident under PMAY. “There was much uproar about land being provided to non-J&K residents. Not a single non-J&K resident has received land or a home under PMAY,” he affirmed.
The LG emphasised that some individuals keep questioning what has changed in the past four years. “They fail to recognize the prevailing peace in J&K. Routine street violence has ceased, and schools and colleges remain open year-round. In the past, people would hurry home soon after sunset, but today, even after 10 pm, restaurants and hotels are open. Youth, including boys, girls, and the elderly, now spend time playing music or enjoying ice creams on the Jhelum front. This is what has changed,” he remarked. “It’s a significant transformation.”
He added that those who cannot accept peace continue to incite people under various pretexts to revive street violence.
The LG also noted that in the past four years, many national and international events were held in Srinagar, but today’s event on Parish Councils is the most significant.
“I believe genuine governance is channeled through Parish Councils. Villages with effective governance are the aspiration of every Parish Council, and this aspiration will be realized,” he said, highlighting that 30,000 projects are currently underway at the Parish Council level. “Funds, function, and functionaries have been streamlined, and people are reaping the benefits of the Parish Council system,” the LG concluded. (KNO)
