J&K a special state; hence deserves special treatment: Mehbooba Mufti

Srinagar: Peoples’ Democratic Party president, Mehbooba Mufti, on Saturday expressed her satisfaction over the outcome of Prime Minister, Narendra Modi’s, visit and appreciated his resolve to carry forward Atal Behari Vajpayee’s initiative on Jammu and Kashmir. 

She also welcomed the announcement of Rs. 80,000 special package for the State by the Prime Minister and said ‘Jammu and Kashmir has got special status; hence deserves special treatment.”

Complimenting the people in general and the PDP cadres in particular for turning up in large numbers at the Prime Minister’s Srinagar rally, she said in a statement here, “It is vindication of the fact that the people are not only acknowledging and appreciating the good work being done by the state government led by Mufti Muhammad Sayeed but they have full faith in his leadership”.

 She said, “Even though we didn’t yet get much time to deliver on our promises and have been in the government for only eight months, the overwhelming presence of the people in Saturday’s public rally has reiterated the fact that they have tremendous faith the leadership of Mufti Sahib and he has the commitment to deliver.” She added that the State government is committed to respond to and mitigate the political and economic problems of the State with fresh resolve and assured the people that the results of ‘our efforts’ would bear fruit soon.

She said the special economic package besides helping in infrastructure rebuilding includes funds for the rehabilitation of the flood-affected households, traders and growers who suffered huge economic losses in the devastating deluge of September 2014.

The State’s deputy chief minister and senior BJP leader, Nirmal, Singh, termed the economic package announced by the Prime Minister as historic and said that it would give an new lease to the economic sector of the State besides accelerating the development related activities resulting in changing the socio-economic profile of the people and also cater to the flood affected people.

He said the economic package has components including humanitarian relief, disaster management, social infrastructure and developmental spending and is a historic one in the history of the state. This shows the liberal approach of the centre towards the needs of the people of the state. 

Singh, while referring to the Prime Minister’s assertion that the announcement of the package is only a beginning and much more is going to come, said that it is commendable and heart-warming gesture towards the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

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