The purpose of the Centre’s outreach programme in Jammu & Kashmir is to get a firsthand account of the problems faced by the people and address their concerns, Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said on Tuesday.
“The objective of this dialogue is to go close to people, listen to their problems and needs and also find solutions to their problems, “ Naqvi told reporters here.
Naqvi, who laid the foundation stone for a development project at Harwan on the outskirts of the city, was the first minister to visit Kashmir as part of the Centre’s outreach programme.
He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi is keen to ensure that benefits of the changes initiated by the Central government should reach all the people of the union territory.
“The aspirations and expectations of the people were not upheld (earlier) and corruption had eaten into Jammu and Kashmir... Some people had benefited themselves but we want prosperity for all people here, “ Naqvi said.
Asked why only five ministers were visiting Kashmir against 31 going to Jammu, he said the present outreach programme was just the beginning of the Centre’s efforts to reach out to the people of the Valley.
“This is not the last programme. This initiative will continue,” he said. Naqvi refused to comment on criticism from some quarters about the Ministers not including seven districts of Kashmir in their outreach programme.
Addressing a gathering earlier, Naqvi said the Central Government wants “a new dawn” of development and accountability in the functioning of the Government machinery in Jammu & Kashmir.