KL Desk
SRINAGAR
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah Friday said that hardly hundred people are languishing in jails in Jammu and Kashmir. He said even 100 people in jails of J&K is a big number.
He challenged separatists’ claim that thousands are languishing in jails here.
Omar was addressing August 15 function at Bakshi Stadium in Srinagar. “I challenge all those people who are trying to stoke passions in the state by saying that thousands are languishing in prisons in Jammu and Kashmir.
“If 100 people are in prisons here this time, I would say that is a big number.”
Omar also said that militant actions have come down by 80 per cent during his tenure and his government was trying to reduce the presence of forces in cities and towns.
“If militancy has come down by 80 per cent, time is not far when AFSPA would also have to go,” Omar said in his address.
Appealing people to participate in the state elections due here in November-December in large numbers, he said that despite separatist boycott call of elections, people have been voting in the past and will do so this time also.
Claiming that around 300,000 passports were cleared by the state police during this period, Omar said around 500,000 tourists visited the Kashmir Valley because of an improvement in the overall situation.
“Around 350 people who had gone across the borders have returned back to their homes under the state government’s rehab policy,” the chief minister said.
Omar also said that 1850 youth have been benefited under the Amnesty Policy for those involved in law and order cases.
“Warrants under Public Safety Act have been brought down by 40 per cent in the last about six years from 2500 in 2008 to 1420 by now,” Omar further said.
He spoke of the shortage of electricity in the state and said during his present tenure, electric power projects likely to produce 1,500 MW were started.
