Perform or people will teach you a lesson: CM Mehbooba Mufti warns ministers

Jammu: Getting down to business soon after taking over, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Monday asked her ministerial colleagues to preform to provide good governance and corruption-free administration, failing which the people will “teach you a lesson” in next elections. Conscious of the divergence of views in her PDP-BJP coalition government, she also underlined the need for the Council of Ministers to work as a “cohesive force to ensure intra and inter-regional harmony.” Addressing the first meeting of the Council of Ministers here, she said the PDP-BJP coalition government would work with fresh resolve to accomplish her late father Mufti Mohammad Sayeed’s “unfinished agenda” of peace, harmony and development for Jammu and Kashmir. “The greatest tribute to Mufti Sahab will be if all of us work with sincerity, seriousness and honesty and reach out to the people and provide them the much-needed relief,” she said. [caption id=“attachment_2711760” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Mehbooba Mufti. File photo. AFP[/caption] Mehbooba said the people have lot of expectations from her government and it is the responsibility of the ministers, including the chief minister, and other government functionaries to come up to their expectations. “The people are very vigilant today and keep it in mind that if you fail to perform they will teach you a lesson in next elections,” she told her ministerial colleagues. Asking her colleagues to get down to work immediately, Mehbooba said the urgent task before the government is to focus on development, good governance and corruption-free administration. Development and good governance will have the desired impact on the ground only in an environment of peace and stability, she underlined. She said the broader roadmap for PDP-BJP coalition government has already been spelled out in the “Agenda of Alliance”. She said the governance reforms initiated by the PDP-BJP government headed by Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, including ensuring transparency in recruitments and transfers, would be carried forward with fresh momentum. The Chief Minister said that the ministers shouldn’t confine themselves to their constituencies or a particular region, but reach out to the people in every nook and corner of the State to mitigate their sufferings. The newly-inducted Council of Ministers resolved to carry forward the mission of the former Chief Minister Mufti Sayeed who passed away on 7 January. The Council placed on record the commendable contribution of Sayeed to the national and the state politics spanning over six decades, an official spokesman said. The Council of Ministers observed that Sayeed’s personal integrity and unblemished record of honesty should inspire not just the politicians and the civil servants of the state, but the entire nation. “Mufti Sahab is known for his performance, sincerity, accountability, transparency and delivery,” the Council observed. Recalling how Sayeed “preferred public service and principles over power”, the Council resolved to work with renewed vigor to carry forward the vision of peace and development that the great leader has left behind as a practical and inclusive agenda for addressing the challenges confronting Jammu and Kashmir. Describing late Sayeed as a distinguished leader and a stalwart, the Council hailed his efforts to bring all the regions of the state together and put them on the path of equitable development. It also reaffirmed Mufti Mohammad Sayeed’s vision to make Jammu and Kashmir an abode of peace and harmony. The Council also acknowledged late leader’s resolve to strengthen the democracy and democratic institutions in the state and stated that these will be the guiding framework for governance. “The vision put together by Mufti Sahab will be a roadmap for us and we will carry forward that mission with renewed vigor, zeal and enthusiasm, which will be the biggest tribute to the great leader”, the Council observed. Mehbooba later had a one-on-one meeting with Governor NN Vohra at the Raj Bhavan in Jammu. Vohra, who was heading the administration for last three months because of the Governor’s Rule, informed the chief minister about some of the major issues awaiting her attention. The governor wished the chief minister good luck and high success in all her future endeavours to move the State speedily forward on the path of growth and development. On her arrival at the Civil Secretariat, the chief minister was accorded traditional Guard of Honour by Jammu and Kashmir Police contingent. The chief minister took salute and was escorted by the Director General of Police K Rajendra on the occasion. Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh and other members of the Council of Ministers were also given a warm reception on their arrival at the civil secretariat.