No deaths in Kashmir, 50,000 new govt jobs soon: Governor

Srinagar: Asserting that the Narendra Modi’s government decision to abrogate Article 370 was for the betterment of the people of Jammu and Kashmir, Governor Satya Pal Malik on Wednesday said the administration was “not hiding” the figures of the “deaths” in the Kashmir Valley as no lives have been lost.

He also said that about 50,000 new government jobs will be created in Jammu and Kashmir.

Addressing a press conference, Malik said: “Every Kashmiri life is valuable to us, we don’t have loss of even a single life.”

He said there has been no civilian casualties, and “only the few who got violent are injured”.

“Those who are injured have below the waist injuries,” he said, adding how can his administration can hide any data on deaths when everyday, teams from the Centre are coming to meet him.

Announcing that the government was opening mobile phone connectivity in Kupwara and Handwara districts, he said: “And soon we will open connectivity in other districts as well.”

Malik claimed that the medium of phone and internet is used less by the people and mostly by terrorists and Pakistanis as well as for mobilisation and indoctrination.

“It is a kind of weapon used against us so we have stopped it. Services will be resumed gradually,” he said.

Backing the idea of revoking Article 370 from Jammu and Kahsmir and bifurcation of the state into two Union Territories, he said: “Government’s decision is for the betterment of the people of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh.”

Malik underlined that the government’s objective is to work maximum for the people so that in the long term people realize that it was indeed done for their benefit.

“J&K and Ladakh will see so much of development in the coming days that people in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir will also start asking for the same kind of development,” he said

He said that about 50,000 government jobs will be announced soon and 50 more degree colleges will be opened.

Published on: Aug 28, 2019 at 19:27 IST

IANS