Srinagar: Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir Manoj Sinha hit out at the regional parties on Friday, who had opposed the recent decision to provide housing for the homeless while declaring that "gone are the days when some people were acting as the "owners of government property and funds."
Speaking at the National Tribal Festival at the SKICC in Srinagar, the LG said that certain individuals have begun to object to the recent announcement of granting land to 2,711 landless households and houses to the homeless. "I want to let them know that the days of treating government assets and finances as their own are long gone. The days when they made decisions based on their political interests are long gone. They took state property, built lavish homes for themselves, and abandoned the underprivileged," the LG said while making an overt allusion to National Conference vice-president Omar Abdullah, People’s Democratic Party chief Mehbooba Mufti and other local leaders, who had rejected the administration's announcement.
Also read: J&K: No harm to common man in anti-encroachment drive, says LG Manoj Sinha
Omar had asked, who the homeless people in J&K were; PDP president Mehbooba responded that the effort was intended to turn J&K into a slum by settling strangers. According to the LG, Prime Minister Awas Yojana has been implemented nationwide except in J&K. "Some individuals are suffering now that the programme is now being implemented in J&K as well. The dream of the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, will come true. Five marlas will be given to each homeless family so they may construct their own home," he said.
The LG thanked the tribal community for its contribution to the prosperous and peaceful J&K and stated that several measures have been taken for the welfare of tribals, including training materials and a proposal to hold buyer-seller meetings for them as well. The LG stated that efforts were being made to prepare the tribal youth for esteemed exams and to provide free coaching for them. "August 5, 2019, was a historic day for the Tribal community as the day ended disparity for them," the LG stated. He stated that not just the Tribal Affairs Department, but also other administrative agencies, will collaborate closely for the benefit of the tribals.
He said that a brand-new web platform will include a record of every single one of the four lakh Tribal in J&K, allowing for constant tracking. "Free transportation will be provided for the Tribes throughout their migration time so they may go where they're going in two days rather than a month. They will also receive free ambulance services. To meet the health requirements of the Tribes, Primary Health Services will also be established," the LG said. He also announced plans to enhance the Tribal Affairs Institute (TAI) and teach young people to gather herbs from the forests.
