Parliament figures belie government's claims regarding investment in J&K: Mehbooba Mufti

Srinagar: Former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir Mehbooba Mufti on Monday said that despite Government of India’s claims of heavy investment flow in J&K after abrogation of article 370 the figures presented by them during the ongoing parliament session belies their own claims.

Mufti, shared a screenshot of a reply from the parliament regarding the information provided by the J&K administration on the year wise investments made in J&K from 2017 till 2022.

The reply informs that Rs 840.55 crore investment was made in J&K in financial year 2017-18, followed by Rs 590.97 crore in 2018-19, Rs 296.64 crore in 2019-20, Rs 412.74 crore in 2020-21 and Rs 376.76 crore in 2021-22.

“Despite GOIs tall claims of heavy investment flow into J&K post abrogation of Article 370, the figures presented by them in the Parliament prove otherwise. 840 crores in 2017-18 vis a vis 376 crores in 2021-22. A lie has no legs,” Mufti tweeted.



The government has further informed that to encourage investments in the J&K UT the GoI notified the New Central Sector Scheme for Industrial Development of J&K in 2021, which is supplemented by the J&K Industrial Policy 2021-30, J&K Industrial Land Allotment policy, 2021-30, J&K Private Industrial Estate Development Policy 2021-30. “The Government of J&K has reported receiving proposals for investments worth approximately Rs. 64,000 crore so far,” the government informed the parliament.

Earlier this year, during his visit to J&K union home minister Amit Shah took a dig at Mufti and other regional political leaders who have joined hands under the umbrella of People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration for restoration of special status and statehood of J&K. Shah had said that there are two models for people to follow, one is Modiji’s model and the other is the Gupkar model. “Modiji’s model is that of development, peace, employment, investment of Rs 56,000 crore, educational institutions and hospitals, while the Gupkar model gave people stones, closed colleges and machine guns,” Shah had said.

Mufti, who served as a chief minister in the BJP-PDP government in J&K has been a vocal critic of the BJP led central government since they parted ways in 2018. She was recently asked to vacate her official residence on high profile Gupkar road in Srinagar which had been with the family since 2005. She was offered another accommodation, which she said was in dilapidated condition and now she lives at a relative's house in the outskirts of the Srinagar city.