Where did Central funds go in past 70 years, J&K politicians have to answer: BJP’s national spokesman Syed Zafar Islam

Says investigations into Roshni Scheme to catch all big fish; restoration of high speed internet under consideration of Centre

Srinagar: Syed Zafar Islam, the national spokesman of Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Rajya Sabha Member Party, Thursday said that Centre was actively considering the resumption of 4-G internet services in Jammu and Kashmir and the high level probe into the Roshni Scam will catch all big fish who grabbed government land illegally.

Addressing a press conference here, after visiting Shopian district of South Kashmir and Nagrota area of Jammu, Islam said that development has always been a dream for J&K people as all the previous regimes plundered the resources of this beautiful place just to fill their own coffers.

“This is a beautiful place in the India and Prime Minister Narendera Modi is committed towards the development of people of J&K by all means. Development has been ignored by the previous regimes and the regional parties preferred to build their own assets rather than serving the common people,” Islam said as per news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO).

On restoration of high speed internet in J&K, he said that Centre is actively considering it and “very soon” a decision will be taken on the restoration of the internet services.

He said that he met Gujjar, Bakerbal and other low strata income groups in Shopian, and Jammu, and all told him that previous governments’ did nothing for their uplifment. “Since this area was disturbed, regional parties misused the funds that were pumped in by the Centre for the developed and spent the same for their personal interests,” the BJP MP said.

He said that now J&K is an integral part of India, post Article 370, a new dawn of development is being seen in the UT and the both regions of J&K are heading towards development and prosperity. He said that Central government is working on a model to regularize hundreds of daily wagers engaged by the previous governments’ from time to time.

To a query about Roshini Scheme, he said that politicians used this scheme for their own benefit and grabbed government land across J&K. “High level investigations are on and all big fish will be caught soon.

We are committed to zero tolerance for corruption. One has to be answerable as to where did the huge amount of funds meant for development, go,” Islam said. “Fact is that Central funds meant for J&K’s development were used by the politicians for building their own assets while common people were left to suffer and development remained a dream.”

He said that PAGD alliance leaders are feeling unnerved as BJP fulfilled its commitment of completing the Panchayat Raj System in the J&K after over 70 years. “We have showed that democracy flows from the grassroots level,” he said—(KNO)