J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha today said the elected government in Jammu and Kashmir has full authority and should focus on governance rather than linking progress to the restoration of statehood.
Speaking at the Foundation Day of UT of J&K here, Sinha said the union Home Minister had given a roadmap for Jammu and Kashmir, stating that there would be delimitation first, assembly elections second, and restoration of statehood at an appropriate time.
“Some people still seem to have a problem,” the Lieutenant Governor said. “I know when the assembly elections were held, it was clear that they were being conducted for the union Territory assembly. They (elected government) cannot make the excuse that work cannot be done till statehood is restored.”
Sinha emphasized that the government has full powers to govern and serve the people.
“All powers are with the (elected) government. People should not be misled (under the pretext of the absence of statehood),” he asserted, urging the government to use its powers for the betterment of the people of J&K.
He also called upon the public representatives and government officials to discharge their shared duties to ensuring peace, harmony and maintaining the momentum of J&K’s remarkable growth journey.
“Since 2019, the aspirations of Jammu and Kashmir are linked to the aspirations of the country. We must work with dedication to transform our unity into widespread prosperity. This path will be guided by the vision of the 4 Ps: Peace, Progress, Prosperity, and People First,” the Lieutenant Governor further said.
“An aspirational J&K UT was born on 31st October 2019 and People’s dream of peace and progress was fulfilled within a short span of time,” Sinha said, adding the historic milestones were achieved in infrastructure and other sectors and all forms of discrimination were eliminated and social justice and equality were established.
Asking the people to stand united against elements trying to disrupt the development process, he said attempts are being made to stall the speed of development and people must be united to see that development process continues unabated.
Speaking on termination of government employees involved in terror activities, the Lieutenant Governor said that this process will continue “till we completely wipe out the terror ecosystem from the governance system”.
The Lieutenant Governor administered the Unity pledge and flagged off ‘Run for Unity’ to commemorate the birth anniversary of unifier of India, former deputy prime minister and first home minister, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
