National Conference on Friday strongly condemned the failure of the PDP-BJP Government to have in place a roster of rotational presence of Ministers in Kashmir during the winters as per the established norm of ‘Winter Secretariat’ arrangement that has been in place since a long time. NC Provincial President Nasir Aslam Wani said this move was unprecedented and was a brazen proof of the PDP-BJP Government’s step-motherly attitude towards Kashmir.
“It was an established practice during the tenure of the previous Government that a ‘Winter Secretariat’ was established in Srinagar during winters and a ‘Summer Secretariat’ is established in Jammu during the summers. This was done to make the Government accessible to the people at the highest levels on a year-round basis despite the Darbar Move transitions. This practice was ensured every single year except the last year in the tenure of the previous Government when the Election Model Code of Conduct prevented this announcement”, the NC Provincial President added.
The NC Provincial President said the previous Government used to put out a roster of rotational presence of Ministers in the Winter Secretariat before the Darbar Move. “This roster used to cover a few months of functioning and was followed by the issuance of further rosters to ensure a continued access was provided to the people and the process of grievance redressal remains unaffected. Sadly the PDP-BJP Government seems either callous or malicious in bringing this practice to a halt. This has sent out a very grim message – one that will create a perception of regional discrimination”, Nasir Aslam Wani further stated.
“We demand the State Government immediately announces a Winter Secretariat roster so that the Administration is accessible to the people of Kashmir during the harsh winter months. The Chief Minister should also come clean on this issue and explain why his Government has brought this established norm to a grinding halt without any plausible explanation”, the NC Provincial President added in the statement.
