No new industries set up in J&K after conversion to UT: Ghulam Nabi Azad
Srinagar, Feb 08 : Ghulam Nabi Azad demands statehood be restored to Jammu and Kashmir, added Article 370 had only two conditions — outsiders couldn’t buy land or can’t work there.
“It is because the state is mountainous and most of the land is forest. Even I couldn’t afford to buy land there,” he said, urging the government to restore statehood and conduct elections as soon as possible.
“It is a border state and our enemy is sitting on our heads from both ends – Pakistan and China. Any intelligent person can see that one can fight Pakistan and China later but one should mend the relationship with Jammu and Kashmir,” Azad said.
Stating the Centre’s claim to convert the state into a Union Territory to ensure development, Azad said no one from outside puts up an industry there and even in Jammu only two districts get industry.
He went on to says that no new industries have been set up in Jammu and Kashmir. “In fact, 7,107 industries have shut down in Jammu and Kashmir and new industries have not come,” he said.
Azad went on to say that the roads are in terrible shape, ceasefire violations have increased and there are issues with water supply. “The responsibility of an elected representative cannot be replaced by an executive. If there was an elected government then it could have improved the situation,”
he Speaking during the discussion on the Bill, Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad recalled the government’s assurance that Statehood will be restored to Jammu and Kashmir.
“Are you going to keep it an UT permanently? I want to ask Home Minister Amit Shah if the present cadre was working well, why is there a need for the merger?” he asked. (PTK)
