Rana supports demand of IIT, IIM for Kashmir

The opposition National Conference Wednesday supported the demand of setting up of IIM and IIT in the Valley.

In a statement here, NC’s Provincial President Devender Singh Rana referred to the demand being raised in Kashmir about setting up of IIM and IIT in the Valley and justified it, saying the State has undergone a most traumatic phase of its history during the past few decades and needs a special dispensation.

“It should not be treated as any other state as the people have suffered immensely and deserve a special treatment especially in respect of medicare and education,” he said.

Welcoming the decision to establish All India Institute of Medical Sciences in Kashmir, Rana asked the PDP-BJP Government to clarify its stand on setting up a similar institute in Jammu.

“Government should clear its position on the issue as divergent posturing by different political entities of the ruling establishment in the Union and the State has precipitated the issue and confounded the situation,” he said. “We have all along welcomed the decision to establish AIIMS in Kashmir and demanded similar institutes for Jammu and Ladakh. But the response of the PDP and BJP has been irresponsible, confusing and ambiguous.”

He said hanging of issue has taken serious proportions with normal life in Jammu getting haywire by continuous hunger strike and proposed 72 hour Bandh.

“The blame for bringing the scenario to such an impasse straightway goes to the coalition government, which has not been able to resolve the issue. National Conference had suggested the Chief Minister Mufti Muhammad Sayeed to lead an all party delegation to the Prime Minister and seek special dispensation for Jammu and Kashmir,” he said, adding the former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had done the same thing for getting a Central University for Jammu.