PDP’s role pivotal in transforming J&K’s political, economic scenario: Karra
By News Agency of Kashmir
Srinagar : Senior Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader and Minister for Finance, Housing & Urban Development, Tariq Hameed Karra today said a decisive and holistic turnaround in the State’s security and development scenario, vividly visible on the ground, is the outcome of the PDP’s people-oriented political agenda and ingenious economic policies. “PDP’s role has been central in transforming the situation, not only within but outside the State, at a stage when Jammu & Kashmir and its people are struggling to come out of the most difficult times of its history,” he said.
Addressing a public meeting at in Iddgah constituency today, Karra said the agenda of political empowerment, economic emancipation and social uplift of the State’s people could be fully realized only through a sustained and credible democratic process with participatory public involvement. “We can achieve the objective of political empowerment and economic emancipation only when there is peace and stability in the State,” he said and added the time has come for the young population to come forward and become key agents for peace and development by taking charge of the democratic and civil society institutions.
Urging the gun-wielding youth to shun the path of violence and join the dialogue process for peaceful resolution of the State’s problems, Mr Karra said there is no doubt that political issues plaguing Jammu and Kashmir have not only persecuted its people politically, but have certainly hampered its socio-economic development. “But it is also a fact that violence and blood-shed has only complicated the miseries of the people,” he said and added that PDP strongly subscribes to a participatory political process in which all the parties and points of view contribute in shaping a new future for Jammu & Kashmir and its people. “PDP’s agenda is essentially about neutralizing the historical excesses with Jammu & Kashmir that have been compounded by its natural and political geography,” he said.
Karra emphasized that PDP’s campaign on opening up of all the traditional cross-LoC routes in Jammu & Kashmir stems from the realization of the State’s past as a version of today’s Free Trade Zone. “Our vision is primarily founded on the liberty of our people to travel freely in the region to build economic fortunes for not only themselves but the whole State as well,” he said and added that PDP is persistently working towards realizing the dream of a politically stable and economically vibrant Jammu & Kashmir with a new and modern economic and financial structure as its backbone.
Karra said given the policies and programs the Coalition Government, the State is already on the path of strong economic performance on various parameters such as Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP), a huge rise in public expenditure and progressive reform initiatives. ” If structuring of Coalition Government is one paradigm shift, the other one, which has put the state on a different level of evolution, is linking the peace process with the economic development,” he said and added that as far economic governance is concerned, the key initiative has been to supplement the peace process, through economic reconstruction in a manner that is oriented and acceptable to all.
Karra said the dark era of exploitative politics is now over in Jammu & Kashmir and people no longer get influenced by emotional slogans. “The performance of the politicians is now being determined by the public on a day-to-day basis and the new mantra is perform-or-perish,” he said and added that PDP has become a target of the wrath from the traditional political class as it has transformed the State’s political discourse choking the space for the politicians who were thriving on emotions and rhetoric.
Karra said the State’s fast-changing political scenario has almost made the traditional political parties like the National Conference completely irrelevant and that is why the party that has ruled the State for almost half a decade is today in a state of disarray. “NC has not only lost track of its political agenda, but the party has even failed to play the role of a responsible opposition,” he said and added that the bickering within the party have now started coming in the open.