Chadoora, March 30: Prominent politician Zaffer Mir (Lasjan) on Thursday said that the political stability is an indispensable prerequisite for the economic prosperity and development of any region, including Kashmir and it needs an economic Shock Therapy to end decades of stagnation.
He was talking about the figures provided by the LG Manoj Sinha which highlighted the progress made in J&K during his tenure.
“J&K is just emerging from a severe economic downturn that requires an economic ‘Shock Therapy’ to help the youth of the region keep pace with the rest of the country. Currently, only 3.2% of the total population holds government jobs, which needs to be increased to at least 5%,” he said.
Compared to other states in the country, this is still an ethical proportion and will help create 2.8 lakh jobs for youth which will eventually help coming generations to opt for self-employment as economic conditions would improve, he added.
Mir welcomed the investments made by various companies in J&K, stating that although an investment of Rs. 1547.87 crore is still relatively small, it is an encouraging start. “This investment amounts to roughly Rs 154 crores per month, which could undoubtedly be increased manifold given the economic potential of the region,” he stated.
Zaffer Mir acknowledged that the level of development achieved in the last three years has been unprecedented. “It highlights the stark reality of how funds disbursed by the Central Government in the past were misused by traditional political parties, which were characterized by corruption and nepotism. While such malpractices have dwindled to a significant extent, the sanitation and transparency is still required at the lower levels,” he observed.
He also praised the government’s initiative to encourage youth entrepreneurship, saying that startups form the foundation of any economy worldwide and offer opportunities for the unemployed youth.
“However, the previous experiences have taught us that many young talented people were disheartened by the brazen corruption nexus. Officials on the lower levels often charged fees to process their applications further. Hence, vigilance is required to maintain the current initiative’s integrity,” he said.
While talking about tourism growth in J&K, Zaffer Mir reiterated that peace and political stability continue to be the key to economic prosperity.
“The tourism industry needs good infrastructure and proper administrative acumen as nature already has enough to offer to attract millions of tourists to the valley. This industry has suffered immensely during the political turmoil, and only peace can help it grow exponentially,” he remarked.
