Youth of Kashmir worst sufferers of conflict: Mehbooba Mufti ‘PDP wants to see Shopian as economic hub’

GNS Srinagar, July 26: Stating that youth are the first and worst sufferers of Kashmir conflict, Ms Mehbooba Mufti, president Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) today said there is a dire need to address apprehensions and dilemma faced by the youth of the state.

Addressing a well attended youth convention of Shopian constituency, Ms Mehbooba said it was heratnening to see youth of the state are impressed with the PDP agenda and aligning with it. “Self rule is a document of hope and it is natural that the youth who have been the worst victims of conflict in the state strike an easy bond with our agenda,” she remarked.

The PDP president said that if till 2002 the youth faced POTA, Task Force, SOG and unchecked atrocities the present government has again started a campaign to harass the youth. “They are not able to get visas or security clearances for jobs in the government and thousands are facing police cases on flimsy charges,” she said.

The PDP president said that due to rampant corruption in the state the future of our youth has been put at stake. The PDP had brought in an agenda of hope and youth were the focus of its policies, Ms Mehbooba said adding that the present dispensation subverted the PDP’s fair and transparent process of recruitment and had once again reverted to its traditional backdoor and corrupt practices.

She said the youth of Jammu and Kashmir are among the best and they deserve the best. Stressing upon the youth to strive for the change, Ms Mehbooba said that it was a two way process to uplift the youth and facilitate their well being.

Ms Mehbooba held instability in Kashmir responsible for the whole mess saying that due to the conflict situation in Kashmir people have been deprived of their natural recsources. “We can not utlize our water resources for power generation which could have given us considerable revenue to devlop our state and adjust our unemployed youth,” she rued.

Taking a strong exception to the dismal and intriguing infrastructral problem faced by people in Shopian, the PDP president said that the present government has not moved an inch from where Mufti Mohammad Sayeed led government had left the developmental process of the state particularly in Shopian district. Ms Mehbooba said that the present government’s apathetic attitude has aggreviated problems of the people of Shopian as raods are dilapidated, hospitals san staff and infrastrcutre, schools are without teachers and other offices are also defunct. “The so called district hospital of Shopian has facilities akin to a Primary Hleath Centre. Patients are being refered to Srinagar for want of doctors and other infrastructural problems of this hospital. This is pathetic that patients of this constuency are supposed to walk long distances to reach to medical facilities,” she added.

“We assure you that we will not allow your sacrfices to go in vain. In Mufti Saheb’s vision, Shopian should become should a hub of economic actvities in near future. Shopian has tremendous potential for economic activties given its important location. The Mughal and Rawlakote roads planned and executed by PDP have not only offered you the connectivity but increased the potential of this district to become hub of economic activities,” she observed.

Ms Mehbooba asked the government to establish a Tourism Devlopment Authority in the district which will increase and tap the tourism potential of the area. “The tourism potential of this district is a blessing which if tapped well can provide benfits to all especially unemployed youth of the area,” she remarked.

The meeting was also addressed by MLA Shopian Abdul Razaq Zaora, Mohammad Shafi Banday district president PDP, Mohammad Abdullah district president (youth) and Yawar Shafi Banday another PDP youth leader of the district.