Omar urges J&K separatists to initiate talks with Centre

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said on Friday that gun culture has never solved any problem while stressing on the need for an Indo-Pak talks to resolve the Kashmir issue.

In his Republic Day address on Doordarshan and Radio Kashmir, Omar said that dialogue was the only way forward to resolve all issues. He appealed to the separatist leaders to open talks with New Delhi and discuss political issues threadbare seeking amicable solution.

“When they can talk to the leadership of neighbouring country (Pakistan) they should also talk to the leaders of their own country and work for settlement of the political issues confronting Jammu and Kashmir for the larger interests of the people of the State,” he said.

Omar reiterated that political issues cannot be resolved by gun or money “but across the table through a process of dialogue.”

On Thursday, Omar had said that his grandfather and National Conference founder Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah was offered gun to carry forward his political roadmap of the State “but he denied it vehemently saying gun only creates miseries and serves no purpose.”

On creating employment opportunities for youth, the chief minister said that in addition to providing numerous opportunities of earning independent livelihood for educated youth under SKEWPY, his government has initiated and upgraded different programmes for self-employment and skill upgrade.

He said thousands of educated unemployed have been absorbed in government services besides facilitating their placements in different private companies within and outside the State. He referred to the Central sponsored programmes of UDAAN and HIMAYAT in this regard.

Omar said that his government was working on a strategy of filling up over 70,000 jobs in government sector through a fast track recruitment process.

On empowerment of panchayats members, Omar said their insurance cover and their demand for honorarium has been noted and his government has prepared an action plan in this regard.

To curb corruption and upgrade transparency in the functioning of administration, he said the government has implemented Public Services Guarantee Act (PSGA) and 20 more services have recently been incorporate in it raising the number of services to 69.

Omar said that creation of Accountability Commission, Vigilance Commission, placing of third party monitoring in place and other steps to check corruption and bring more transparency in the functioning of government departments are effective measures to address menace of corruption.