Kashmir government to work for better days ahead: Vohra

Jammu, March 18 (IANS) Jammu and Kashmir Governor N.N. Vohra on Wednesday said the PDP-BJP alliance government in the state would pursue policies bringing all the regions and people of the state closer to each other and usher peace, development and better days ahead.

He also declared that the government will seek to ensure the return of Kashmir Pandits as well as reintegrate other refugees, while noting the importance of dialogue with all shades of political opinion and revisiting the security situation including laws like the stringent Armed Forces Special Powers ASct (AFSPA).

In his address to the joint session of the legislature, he said: "If we succeed in welding the regions together, we shall also succeed in securing the desired level of trust to bring Jammu and Kashmir to work more closely with New Delhi.

"It is this vision which brings together the PDP-BJP coalition government and not mere compulsions of exercising power."

Noting the widespread outrage against corruption including in the state, he said that it is "a great challenge for the coalition government to restore the integrity of institutions and the people's faith in their ability to deliver".

It will also be the Mufti Mohammed Sayeed government's priority to simplify "doing business" by reducing regulatory complexities and costs, easing bureaucratic barriers and simplifying registration processes and clearances, he said.

Vohra said early elections will be held to local bodies, which will also be further empowered, while developmental plans will be formulated to ensure "that leave aside being actually discriminated, no region even has a feeling about being discriminated".

The government will also explore modalities for the transfer of Dulhasti and Uri hydro power projects to the state, seek a share in the profits of NHPC which use the state's water as well as revision of all royalty agreements.

Vohra also said that the process of developing two mega cities -- Greater Srinagar and Greater Jammu -- as well as the satellite cities of New Srinagar and New Jammu will be started, while all towns with population from 30,000 to 99,999 will be upgraded into cities.

Another major initiative would be a special fully-funded employment package for educated and semi-skilled youth, also intended to achieve full female literacy and primary health care across the state.

The government would also develop Jammu as an independent tourism destination with plans to develop other specific circuits.

On last year's floods, he said the focus shall be to recover the income loss and to meet the liability commitments while the ambit of rehabilitation has been expanded to those geographical areas and businesses that are "flood-impacted", in addition to being "flood-affected".

Vohra said the government will ensure return of Kashmiri Pandits "with dignity", and "spare no effort to reintegrating and absorbing them in the Kashmiri milieu", while also working out a one-time settlement for refugees from Pakistani Kashmir, and measures for refugees for West Pakistan.

He said the government will ensure people are enabled to fully enjoy the peace and normalcy dividend, while it will also address concerns of the people living on the borders.

"In this context, the coalition government will thoroughly review the security situation and examine the need and desirability of all the special laws which are being applied in the state. Keeping in mind that the situation is steadily improving, the government will examine the need for de-notifying 'disturbed areas' and this, in turn, would enable the central government to take a final view on the continuation of AFSPA in such areas."

Recalling the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government's initiation of dialogue with all groups, including the Hurriyat Conference, he said: "Following a similar approach, the coalition government will facilitate and help initiate a sustained and meaningful dialogue with all internal stakeholders, which will include all political groups irrespective of their ideological views and predilections" to build a broad consensus on resolution of all outstanding issues.