NC committed to strengthening democratic institutions in J&K: Rana

Jammu, June 12, 2021: Affirming the resolve of the National Conference to strengthen democratic institutions, Provincial President Mr Devender Singh Rana today said that the electoral politics is core of democracy and hence every political entity should always remain in vibrant mode for the poll process.

“In democratic polity, the governance remains subservient to the people, who are the real fountain head of power”, Mr Rana said during four-hour interaction with the party functionaries of the Ramban District, through virtual mode for four hours, as part of the party’s reach out programme, adding that the National Conference has been the guiding force behind democratic evolution in Jammu and Kashmir.

He said the National Conference has all along remained in the service of the people, whether in power or out of it. Public service is the political philosophy of the party which has enabled it to weather hostile situations from time to time in the past. Having evolved under the atmosphere of challenges, the National Conference will surmount all the situations with courage and fortitude, given the widespread support of the people from every nook and corner of Jammu and Kashmir.

During the five-hour interactive session, the district functionaries highlighted various issues of immense public importance.

Responding to the points raised, the Provincial President exuded confidence that the administration will focus on optimum and regulated functioning of the utility services across the Jammu division in view of the ongoing scorching summer and the upcoming monsoon season, saying power and drinking water supply is required to be maintained on war-footing basis.

He said the people deserve at least minimum basic amenities during the current pandemic times when they are constrained to remain confined within four walls of their homes due to lockdown restrictions. He also stressed the need for improving road connectivity and sought a contingency plan for the maintenance of highways and interior roads during the upcoming monsoon.

He, however, shared the concern of the participants over the erratic functioning of the most-required power and drinking water services with the people not in a position to seek redressal. The administration ought to have accorded priority to these services, knowing well their immense utility at a time when almost every household had a member of the family in home quarantine. The problems being confronted by the people are manifold but the response of the line departments has unfortunately been far from expected, he said.

“We are in the midst of challenging times and the government must spell out its plans to meet the situation”, Mr Rana said, adding this is imperative to instill a sense of confidence among the panic-ridden people. He referred to the ordeal being faced by young and old during these times of harsher summer when the human resource is required to work from home and children depend on a virtual mode of teaching. With electricity playing hide and seek for the better part of twenty four hours, the resultant impact on the water supply remains gruesome, he added.

The Provincial President reminded the role of the National Conference cadre in such grim times and hoped that they will intensify their mass contact programme by maintaining COVID protocol and ensuring the problems of the people are lessened. The workers must also seek maximum participation of the eligible categories of the population to get inoculated as vaccination is the only solution to register victory over the pandemic, he said, adding that all the grass-roots level party units have already been converted into disaster management committees.

The functionaries gave an overview of the situation prevailing across the district, especially in the rural areas with disadvantageous and rugged topography. They specially dwelt upon administrative response in tackling pandemic, maintaining supply line of rations and essentials besides faltered supply of power and drinking water. They also projected the important issues like ill-equipped Covid Care Centres, shortage of medicines and other related facilities.

District President Mr Sajjad Shaheen called for coordinated efforts by various governmental agencies in providing some respite to the people and the need for combating virus in a mission-mode by putting in place oxygenated beds and adequate number of vaccination centres.

Prominent among those, who spoke during the reach out programme, included Dr Chaman Lal Bhagat, Dr Shamshad Shan, DDC Chairperson, Ramban, Vice Chairperson Ramban Rabia Beig, DDC Councillors B.A. Runiyal, Jagbir Dass, Shamima Begum, Gulshan Parveen, Shafi Zargar, Sakhi, District Secretary Mohammad, Arif Mir, District Vice Presidents Arjun Singh Raju, Abid Magrey, Sheikh Parvez Ahmed, Block Presidents Reyaz Ahmed Mir, Farooq Gazi, Mukund Lal Bandral, Nisar Ahmed Sohail, Haji Ab Ahad Shan, Pyare Lal, Kulbushan Singh, Women Wing President Shama Begum, besides Advocate Aruna Thakur, Alveira Rashid, Shaheen Begum, Alyas Wani, Mukhtyar Ahmed, Sheikh Parvez, Ab Jabar Hajam, Mashkoor Darabu, Mohd Rfiq, Advocate Kulbushan, Advocate Asif Runiyal, Abdullah Sheikh, Shaheen Begum, Ashiq Hussain, Niyamat ullah Zargar, Zulfkair Naik, Arshad Mir and others participated.