Srinagar, October 29: Expressing dismay over the plight of Srinagar city and its inhabitants, senior PDP leader and former Finance Minister Tariq Hameed Karra has accused the National Conference dispensation of turning the historic city into a virtual slum. “After already having achieved the dubious distinction of being the country’s fourth dirtiest city – Srinagar – is, as per a latest survey by some NGOs, soon going to achieve another record of sorts by becoming the first city in the country where dogs outnumber the humans,” Karra said in a statement today.
Expressing concern over the deterioration of the civic amenities in the Srinagar City, Karra said even the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh during his visit to the Valley in June last year couldn’t stop himself from expressing concern over the plight of the Srinagar city.
Karra blamed the successive NC government’s for the worsening economic and developmental condition of this historic city. He said the Valley’s youth in general and in Srinagar city particularly are being forced into drug addiction to make them incapacitated them for any productive work.
“Srinagar has been transformed into a virtual slum through the myopic policies of the successive NC regimes,” he said and added that while the government is in slumber, the city is facing chronic issues of sanitation, hygiene, drinking water supply, drainage and power shortage. “Getting even basic minimum electricity has become a luxury, drinking water has become scarce, rations are drying up at the depots and timber is not in sight anywhere,” he said.
Karra said even after spending crores of rupees, the Srinagar Municipal Corporation has absolutely no idea how to tackle the growing dog menace with the canines having become a huge danger for the people.
Accusing the ruling National Conference of having “exploited the Srinagarites for power”, Karra said: “The history is witness that the NC leadership has given nothing in return to the City except exploiting its residents for political gains.”
“Even today the NC leaders are playing the same old exploitative political game with the City and its residents,” he said and added that instead of taking new initiatives towards the betterment of civic amenities in Srinagar, the present government has in fact failed to build on the initiatives taken by the previous PDP-led coalition government for the betterment the city.
Karra said the much-trumpeted employment policy and voluntary service allowance are the big jokes played by the government with the unemployed youth and instead of giving jobs to the youth, they are being thrown into jails.
“The youth of Srinagar must be having some just concerns of neglect and economic deprivation that need to be addressed,” Karra said and added that the National Conference while exploiting the gullible residents of Srinagar city to the hilt for political gains, has never bothered to address their political concerns, economic deprivation and social dispossession.
Reminding the present government of its pre-poll commitments with the people, Karra said the National Conference had promised to give round-the-clock electricity at subsidized rates and provide jobs to around two lakh youth, immediately after taking over. “Unfortunately, while we are now seeing round-the-clock darkness because of non-availability of electricity, on the unemployment front, the already employed are now being shown the exit door,” he said and added that there seems to be a complete chaos in the government with nobody bothered about the plight of the common people.
Karra said there is not a single tangible initiative that this government has pioneered during last three years of its tenure.
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