UN has failed in Kashmir: Farooq

SUMIT HAKHOO

Jammu, Jan 5: A day after Hurriyat Conference (M) Chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq said that United Nations (UN) has failed to address the Kashmir issue, Union Minister and National Conference president Farooq Abdullah Wednesday said that UN has not only failed in Kashmir but also in Palestine.

Abdullah who was addressing a press conference here said that as a Union Minister he cannot comment on the issue. “However as the president of National Conference I agree with the views of Mirwaiz. The UN despite being useful in so many ways at the global level has failed in resolving many issues around the world,” he said.

Urging Mirwaiz to come forward for talks with centre, he said that dialogue process should again be started to find a peaceful solution to the Kashmir issue and save the people from suffering any more.

He said dialogue between India and Pakistan was a must in this direction and stressed on building confidence and friendly ties between the two neighbours for the larger interests of peace and development in the state.

Reciting the maxim ‘Dair Aayad Durust Aayad’ (better late than never), Abdullah welcomed the statement of Hurriyat leader Prof Abdul Gani Bhat regarding killing of Mirwaiz Moulvi Farooq in 1990 and said that Prof Bhat has spoken truth, though lately. “Though he had made many enemies for himself, at least Abdul Gani Bhat spoke the truth after so many years”, Abdullah said.

He said that the issues pertaining to Jammu and Kashmir have to be resolved by the people of all the three regions of the state through a dialogue process in which participation of people living across LoC is also required.

The Union Minister spelt out his Ministry’s action plan for harnessing solar, wind, geo-thermal, water and biomass potential of the State for generating energy. He said his Ministry is keen to help the State to generate more and more energy from non-conventional energy sources abundantly available in the State.

Farooq Abdullah said that Union Ministry has provided Rs. 130 crores to the State this year for generation of solar energy and electrifying uncovered villages in remote areas. “My Ministry has asked the State Government to give proposal for energizing all the Government hospitals, Civil Secretariat and other office complexes under the solar energy programme so that the electricity saved in these institutions could be diverted to local consumption,” he said.

Farooq said that the Government of India is tying up with the Government of Iceland in harnessing geo-thermal energy in a big way. “My Ministry intends to exploit potential of geo-thermal in Rajouri, Tatapani, Ladakh and other places in the State. We are also working for utilizing bio-mass for generation of electricity in the State,” he added. He said that his ministry has provided over Rs. 474 crores for the development of new and renewable energy projects in Leh and Kargil districts and he is shortly visiting there to inspect the pace of work..

 (Courtesy : www.greaterkashmir.com)