Says they should have opened their doors to all-party delegation
Squarely blaming separatists for the delay in restoration of peace and stopping of developmental works in Kashmir through summer months, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti said closing of doors on the members of all-party parliamentary delegation sent wrong signals.
Mehbooba said top leaders (MPs) of the country had come to “talk to them, but they did not open their doors (to the guests), a thing which has never happened.” This sent wrong signals to the outside world, she said. “They should have opened their doors to the visiting leaders,” that would have normalised the situation at least a couple of months earlier, Mehbooba said. She also recalled that she was the first Chief Minister to have written a letter to the separatists inviting them for talks.
Mehbooba said this on the occasion of foundation stone-laying ceremony of the upgraded Magam-Beerwah-Budgam road, being constructed at a cost of Rs 31.82 crore, in Budgam district today.
She said her government was trying to overcome the lost time and complete the envisaged projects within a month. “We are here to solve all issues, big and small,” Mehbooba said. She added that despite several odds, students were able to appear in annual examinations even as at least 40 schools had been damaged due to fire incidents during the turmoil.
Later, the Chief Minister laid the foundation of multi-level parking complexes at Sheikhbagh and Old State Motor Garages complex. The two projects would provide parking facility for around 1,100 vehicles. The projects are expected to cost Rs 55 crore and will be completed within two years.
The ramp-type six-floor parking facilities at Lal Chowk would be of major relief to the commuters, shopkeepers and those visiting the city centre. There was a persistent demand from the people for the multi-level parking facility to help in ensuring congestion-free traffic movement through the city.
Interacting with people after laying the foundation stones, the Chief Minister said Srinagar holds a huge tourist retention potential and for that her government had decided to upgrade the civic and other facilities in the summer capital. She said given the fact that many heritage places and shrines exist in the city besides other attractions, it could be made a tourist stop after operationalising these upgraded facilities.
