Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed was on Saturday all praise for Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying that his regime has reinforced transparency and removed red-tapism from governance but to translate his slogan of development for all into reality will be a “long race”. On a visit to promote J&K tourism in Modi’s home State, Gujarat, Sayeed praised Modi’s performance at the Centre, “There is no red-tapism anymore, transparency is everywhere,” he said.
“Narendra Modi made Gujarat a model. I have sent my bureaucrats here to see the panchayat system. But, this will work only when there is transparency, no corruption or red-tapism. I personally believe in single-window systems,” Sayeed added. “But India is a big country. There are so many people here; diversity is the essence of India. Unity in diversity. People here have elected him (Modi) four times (as Gujarat CM)... Modi gave the slogan ‘Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas’ (support to all, development for all). People are waiting for it. Where has it goneIJ They do not know this is a long race,” he said.
“If you want to set up an industry, it also takes three to four years. Same is the case with a power projects,” he said, suggesting that bringing about development for all too would take some time. J&K Finance Minister Haseeb A Drabu, Minister of State for Education Priya Sethi and some senior officials were also accompanying Sayeed, who aggressively promoted tourism in Kashmir and assured Gujarat-based tour operators that his State is safe.
Talking about the resettlement of Kashmiri Pandits, he said that they were part of the “composite” Kashmiri culture. Kashmir is incomplete without Pandits, he said, adding, “Attempts have been made since the 1990s to bring them back. My mission will be achieved only when they returned and settled back to their home-state.” Earlier, he also explained how Gujarat was important, how Mahatma Gandhi secured Freedom for India without bloodshed and went nostalgic remembering Varghese Kurien and how he spent two days in Anand with him.
“The tourists are our lifeline and people in J&K very well know this and shall never allow any tourist to be harmed. The real battle for my government is to eradicate negative perception about Kashmir that has been created across the world,” he said, adding that his state tourism had suffered due to recent floods and rains, washing away the potential inflow of tourists during the autumn puja festival and tourist holiday season last year. Divulging the fact that tourism in J&K reduced from 8 to 2 per cent, he said that his government would take measures like tight security at Airport, availability of transport, cruise service in the River Jhelum etc to promote tourism in Kashmir.