‘JK rulers looted central funds for 30 years’

Prime Minister Narendra Modi Friday came down heavily on successive governments in Jammu and Kashmir for “plundering the funds provided by the Centre for development of the state.”
Addressing an election rally here, Modi said there has been “least development” in Jammu and Kashmir in the past 30 years “due to corruption and embezzlement of funds by successive state governments.”
Hitting hard at the ruling party (National Conference) leaders, he said: “They have all along looted the funds as the Centre never cared about their utilization.”
“The leaders (in J&K) have become habitual of looting the central government by emotional blackmailing. Government in New Delhi released funds to state government without caring about its utilization and this practice continued all these years,” he said.
Raising a question on utilization of public money (by J&K leaders), he said: “If the money looted by J&K leaders in the past 30 years was deposited in individual accounts of citizens of the state, they would have been richest people in the country. But unfortunately this money went into some individual accounts,” he said.
Training the guns at the Congress, Modi said “at one time the government from Panchayats to Centre was led by Congress and Rajiv Gandhi himself accepted that one rupee released from Delhi becomes 25 paisa till it reaches its destination.”
“Now I have tightened the noose (on the issue) and so the opposition as well as present government is against me. I have become a hurdle for this government,” he said.
Modi sought full majority for BJP in J&K “to initiate an era of development in the state.” “Give us majority and BJP will fulfill your dreams,” he told the people.
He said there is no bar and the central government is ready to give any amount to help the state but “the state will have to account for its utilization.”
Modi made some religious remarks as well in a bid to seek public support for his party.
“Mein Varanisi Se Aya Hun DevikakeCharno Main VikasKarne (I have come from Varanasi to the footsteps of ‘Devika’ for development of Jammu and Kashmir),” he said. Devika is a religiously revered rivulet in Udhampur.
“BhartiyaJanta Party is not only concerned about Udhampur but for all three regions of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh,” he said.
The PM also referred to demands of Baridars—former caretakers of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi shrine—and said their problems should also be solved.
“What is your opinion? Should their problem be solved by meeting their demands?” he asked, as people responded in affirmative.
In an attempt to woo youth voters, the PM said “they (the youth) do not want flats and Mercedes cars from me but jobs.”
“Youth only want job opportunities as they feel embarrassed while asking for pocket money from their parents when they turn 25 or 28,” he said.
Showing his concern for uniformed men in J&K, the PM said, “J&K police or other personnel of belt force in Jammu and Kashmir are psychologically disturbed as compared to other parts of country and they also need to be taken care of.”
“I have seen the people in uniform here have faced worst mental pressure as compared to other parts of the country,” he said, making an appeal for “giving full majority to BJP to address all the problems of the state.”
Modi said J&K has huge potential of tourism and “everyone wants to visit the state and for this we have to create such environment where more and more tourists come here and more revenue is generated.”