Be role models: Azad tells Congress workers

Srinagar, Jun 12 (UNI) Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad today highlighted the achievements of his rule during the past 19 months, saying the Congress-led coalition government was determined to remove the stigma of the second most corrupt state of the country from the face of Jammu and Kashmir.

Addressing party workers of Kupwara district at Handwara, he said conferring free ownership rights on 17 lakh kanals (80,000 hectares) of land to farmers under the Roshni scheme, creation of eight new districts, three sub-divisions and 12 tehsils were some of the important achievements of his government.

The others were bringing legislation for downsizing Ministry, curbing political defection, strengthening anti-corruption laws, creation of finance commission and bringing every area under the ambit of massive development of the state, Mr Azad added.

He said the Congress workers could reckon with these achievements and circulate the message about the party's pro-people and above board policy programmes.

The Chief Minister asked the Congress workers to strengthen their rank and file and be ambassadors of peace and progress and serve as bridge between the government and people.

He told them to make the public aware of the far-reaching measures his government has taken during the past 19 months.

Mr Azad said the main objective behind holding district-wise party conventions was to sensitise workers about the tremendous socio-economic change set in motion by the Congress-led government in the state. ''You are the spokesmen of the party and should disseminate the pro-people steps of the government,'' he told them.

The Chief Minister said historic decisions regarding eradication of corruption, monitoring development works, creation of healthy work culture, bringing transparency in the administration and launching highest-ever public infrastructure development programmes in the state need to be popularised among the people.

This would help the people in contributing in the gigantic task of socio-economic transformation initiated by the Congress-led government in the state, he added.

Giving details of the reformative and progressive measures taken by his government to remove the stigma of second corrupt state from the face of Jammu and Kashmir, Mr Azad said his drive against corrupt elements would continue with full energy.

The Chief Minister called upon the Congress workers to extend their full support to him in his mission of creating corruption-free political and administrative system in the state.

''You have to grow as role models and create history by freeing the society from evils of malpractice, nepotism and exploitation, and lay edifice of system based on principles of justice and rule of law. You also have to serve as catalysts in the ongoing development process,'' he told the Congress workers.

UNI