Basic infrastructure development our top priority: Azad

Poonch, Nov 15 : Former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir and Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad on Saturday said during the last campaigning in Poonch that if the Congress is voted to power, basic infrastructure development like potable water for all, construction of hydro electric projects and road connectivity will remain our top priority.

He also promised that the Mughal road would be completed and inaugurated in January next year.

Addressing a public meeting in the premises of Government Degree College here today along with Union Minister for Water Resources and PCC (I) Chief Professor Saif-ud-Din Soz, Azad said the construction of Mughal road was due to the initiative taken by his Government.

"If voted to power, we will extend Mughal road from Loran to Budgam by the end of December next year," he said, adding survey on extension of road project has already been done.

Azad, who was here to campaign for Congress candidate Choudhary Bashir Naz, said soon after the Congress is voted to power it will launch work on next phase of Mughal road in January

He said the Congress is committed to speedy completion of work on 132 KV Jammu-Poonch lines.

"Had the Congress Government not been forced to resign by the People's Democratic Party (PDP) in July this year, it would have created 20,000 jobs for post graduates and graduates and 75,000 Class-IV vacancies," the former Chief Minister said and added that these vacancies will now be created when the Congress is voted back to power.

He assured expansion and modernisation of medicare facilities in the state. Work on the hospital buildings will be executed in double shift, he promised.

Prof. Soz said the Centre had been quite liberal in release of funds to the State Government due to initiative taken by Azad. By Tahir Nadeem Khan

ANI