There is only National Conference wave: Rather; How was Rahim Rather able to buy a flat in Dubai: Hanjoora

 As part of Chrar-e-Sharif constituency assembly election 2014 , both interviews appeared on same day on same page!

  

'When I don’t have the authority to appoint anyone in JK Bank, how can I'

Finance Minister and senior National Conference leader Abdul Rahim Rather, who is also party’s candidate from Chrar-e-Sharief may have to fight one of the toughest elections on December 9 as his party is seen by many political pundits dusted and down. However, he says he and his workers are optimistic about the coming elections and think he will sail through easily. In a brief interview with Rising Kashmir Online Editor Daanish Bin Nabi he talks about the allegations of being instrumental in appointing candidates in JK Bank, corruption allegations on him, upcoming elections and more. Excerpts: 

·         PDP won in parliament polls because of negative vote

·         Neither state government nor I as Finance Minister have any say in appointing anyone in JK Bank

·         My top priority has always been the internal resources of our state

·         Hanjoora surely will be defeated

·         Chief Minister on floor of the house has rebutted and given clarification about the allegations on me having a flat in Dubai

  

·         There were accusations against you that you were instrumental in appointing people from Chrar-e-Sharief in J&K Bank with the help of your friend and chairman of J&K Bank, Mushtaq Ahmad? Even the former NC stalwart Mehboob Baig accused you of it and is said to become one of the reasons of him parting ways from the party. What do you say about that?

First and foremost let me clear the confusion like Excise and Sales Tax and Ladakh Affairs are under my control. Jammu and Kashmir Bank is neither under my control nor is it my department. JK Bank is an autonomous body with its own Board of Directors and management. Whenever bank has to recruit, they properly go for exams and an outside national team comes to conduct the exams both the written test as well as the viva. Neither the state government nor I as finance minister have any say in appointing anyone in JK Bank. These are all false propaganda to defame me.

·         It is alleged that you appointed candidates from Chrar-e-Sharief constituency?

When I don’t have the authority to appoint anyone in JK Bank, how can I? In my entire political career I have never done favoritism to anyone, not even in my own departments, how I can show favoritism in a department which is not under my control.   

·         There are allegations of corruption on you like you have amassed huge wealth, you have a flat in Dubai, your son has a call centre in Bathindi and you have distributed more than four crore rupees among your workers for this assembly election to name a few when you have only a monthly Rs 80,000 income. What do you say about it?

I am in politics from last 37 years, but still I don’t own a house in entire Srinagar. This place where I am living in belongs to government. Construction of my home is going on but I have not been able to complete it till now. As far as flat in Dubai is concerned, chief minister on floor of the house has rebutted and has given clarification about it. It is all baseless. Yes, my son has a call centre but I have to do nothing with that, or my government. As far as distributing money among my workers is concerned I have never done that. It’s the opposition who is trying to defame us by pity politics. If I have distributed money, give me a single proof of that? PDP yesterday only went to Brinjan village in my constituency and offered money to Mohammad Khalil to lure him to vote for them but he has outrightly rejected them; such is there politics. And then they put blame on others.

·         You conceded lead in parliamentary polls to rival PDP. What were the reasons? Do you think people in your constituency decided to teach you a lesson for promoting favouritism?

There is no question that people of my constituency wanted me to teach a lesson. One should come and visit my constituency and he will come to know if people in my constituency are fed up with me or not. Only yesterday I held a public meeting in Putlipora at around 9:30 pm and people in that village kept waiting for me till late and that too when temperature was below zero degree. Does it indicate in any manner that people of my constituency are fed up with me? PDP won in parliament polls only because of negative vote (anti-incumbency). Mood of the people had changed that time not only in my constituency but overall. Although that time also I rigorously campaigned for my party but atmosphere was different that time. This time it’s a different ball game all together, people have to form their own state government this time.

·         How do you see Ghulam Nabi Lone (Hanjoora), the PDP candidate from Charar?

He surely will be defeated. The people are with us and there are no two questions about it. It’s the people who will defeat him.

·         In parliamentary elections there was Modi and in assembly elections and it is said that there is a green wave (PDP). It seems NC is down and dusted?

Who says so? National Conference was, is and will be there always. NC wave is there with high spirits and determination. In these elections if there is a wave it is only of National Conference.

·         Why are Abdullahs always the chief ministerial candidates for NC? Why can’t you, Ali Muhammad Sagar or Muhammad Shafi (Uri) be the party’s chief ministerial candidate? Why is NC stuck in dynastic politics?

Chief Minister is elected by the legislature. And so far all National Conference chief ministerial candidates were chosen by the legislature. So the question of dynastic politics does not arise. In any political party today dynastic politics is not possible. A political party has to keep many issues in consideration before choosing its chief ministerial candidate.

·         You have presented 14 budgets and two vote on account budgets. What economic measures did you take for the betterment of the State?

My top priority has always been that internal resources of our state are generated but in such a way that people should not be burdened with paying heavy taxes. I have never presented such a budget by which people have to pay heavy taxes because I always knew that people of our state cannot pay heavy taxes as majority of the population is not well off. As Finance Minister, I totally abolished many type of taxes. We made whole agriculture more or less tax free in last six years. We have given many concessions also. If we compare our economy 2008-09 it grew to 2600 crores and by 2014 we have reached near about 7500 crores. Its means our tax revenue has increased by three times. All this growth happened because of our tax management.  I have been doing constant reviews of my departments after every three months. I always have had review meetings after every three months in which from an Excise Taxation Officer to the top hierarchy had to be present in these meetings. That’s how I have managed the tax management. This review meeting was to have a check till grass root level the situation and progress. By holding these meetings a sense of accountability was created in the department.

·         There are reports that the Excise and Taxation Office in Solina is marred with corruption. Even for a simple tax return businessmen of Kashmir have to bribe the officer in the office?

It’s the first department in Kashmir which has been fully computerized.  There is no need of going to the office. One can fill all the returns from his home only. To stop the corruption computerization of the department was must. One can even do registration, file return or payment from his home. There should be no problem in that.

·         Is it a pity that despite being in power for around three decades, your party is still talking of development activities? Should you not by now have been focusing on other aspirations of the people of the State?

Development is a continuing process. Tell me when any road or college is built will it remain there for 100 years as such? No it will not. From time to time it needs repairing; in most of the cases we have to construct the entire road from zero point because of the various factors. We have a harsh winter in Kashmir for more than four months and majority of our roads get destroyed or dysfunctional because of it as well. So, we have to build them time and again. We are taking both the issues of the people, aspirations as well developmental issue hand in hand.            

‘Corruption, favoritism and underdevelopment is NC led government’s hallmark’

 Peoples Democratic Party’s has fielded leader Ghulam Nabi Lone (Hanjoora) is the candidate for Chrar-e-Sharief. He is also a former MLC and chairman of Legislative Council and has all the potential to pull an upset for the sitting MLA. Lone is confident about winning the elections as he says people have decided to vote PDP in to power.  In a succinct interview with Rising Kashmir Online Editor Daanish Bin Nabi, he lashes out at sitting MLA and says corruption, favoritism and underdevelopment are the issues which Chrar-e-Sharief constituency is facing.  Excerpts:

·         People who got jobs are not common people but the children of Rather’s workers

·         He has given Samrudi pipes, rice and power transformers from a private firm

·         NC government provided job to those who gave them two to three lakh rupees

·         For simple treatment, people have to travel to Chadura or Srinagar

·         Favoritism is prevalent in whole constituency

·         NC government has neither transparency nor accountability

·         Let me tell you that it is not money but with peoples help we will win

·         There are allegations of corruption on Rahim Rather. One is about the recruitment of JK Bank jobs? What are your views about it?

Yes, it is true. There are at least five to ten boys from Chrar constituency who were recruited in JK Bank without any proper exams or interview. All these candidates got recruited as back door entrants. As per my sources there is something devious while recruiting the candidates, that too on behest of Finance Minster of Kashmir. There are two more boys who got recruited for RE posts without interview or advertisement, reported in many local dailies, by the sitting finance minister in this constituency. And all these people who got jobs are not common people but the children of his own workers.

·         Are there any other allegations?

I am only amused by one thing, which is how Rather sahib amassed such huge wealth? He has till date provided more than four to five crores rupees among voters of this constituency and distributed all this money among his workers just to be in power by hook or crook. He has also provided Samrudi pipes and rice. He has also got power transformers from a private firm. I have only one question, where from all this money came? Isn’t Rather sahib accountable to anyone? An MLA only draws Rs 80,000 salary and all this is not possible in this mere sum of amount. How was Rahim Rather able to buy a flat in Dubai? His son has a call center in Bathindi also how was he able to accumulate all this with mere Rs 80,000. All these things are worth crores. It is not the rule of law but the rule of jungle here in our constituency.

·         How do you view NC led coalition government?

NC led government is marred with corruption. Let me give you a simple example of NC government, they provided transfer orders during model code of conduct also only to mint money from government employees. Corruption has crossed all limits during their tenure. NC government provided jobs to those who gave them two to three lakh rupees. For getting a job they had fixed this rate for everyone but the preferences was given to their workers. All their ministers have accumulated the wealth which also includes Congress ministers.

·         Do you think Chrar constituency has developed under Rahim Rather?

Are you seriously asking me this question? See by yourself the road by which you came for the interview, look at its condition. Same is the case with the drinking water and other basic necessities of life. There is no electricity, no ration is provided to people on time with no proper infrastructure of hospitals. We don’t have doctors in main Chrar-e-Sharief hospital either. We don’t have even doctors in PHCs. For treatment, people have to travel to Chadura or Srinagar even for simple treatment. We even have shortage of paramedical staff in our constituency.  Favoritism is prevalent in whole constituency. House Department of this constituency has spent crore of rupees but they have spent this entire amount on their own workers.

·         But there is notion that Chrar constituency is fully developed?

This is the most unfortunate thing. NC is fooling people that Chrar is fully developed. We have 87 constituencies and as far as Chrar constituency is concerned we lack in development and we even don’t have basic necessities of life. It was Karra Sahab who from his MP fund installed street lights in last six months from Zallosa to Wazbagh.

·         As you said the constituency is still lacking basic necessities have you ever protested in your constituency?

Yes, we have protested since last six year more than eight times. We have raised our voices against the injustice of the people in Charar-e-Sharief, Nagam and Budgam.

·         What are the issues you think Chrar is still facing?

This constituency is facing all the issues from development to basic necessities of life but the more pressing issue is of unemployment. There are thousands of educated unemployed youth in this constituency. They are educated but because of favoritism in this constituency they fail to get any job. During our tenure, we have always tried to provide job on merit but unfortunately this is not the case with the present government and NC has always preferred favoritism to merit. NC government has neither transparency nor accountability. They only provided jobs to their own workers and relatives.

·         What will be your top priority for the constituency?

My top priority is development, unemployment and electricity. In our constituency even during summers there is schedule of power cuts and for at least two hours. Still after all these years we don’t have proper road connectivity to any part of our constituency and our youth who have PhDs are still unemployed. In our constituency even during summers there is schedule of power cuts and for at least two hours we don’t have electricity in our homes.

·         What are your expectations from these assembly elections?

Let me tell you without any hesitation that we will win this election with an overwhelming majority because the people of entire Jammu and Kashmir are with us. And let me tell you also that it is not money but with people’s help that we will win.

·         Chrar constituency is home to one of the revered and popular shrines of Kashmir. What will be your contribution to the shrine’s development and what are your plans to attract more people towards religious tourism?

During our tenure we had given Yusmarg the development authority, and we had included Pakherpora and Charar-e-Sharief in it so as to promote the religious tourism. But unfortunately when NC came to power they did not include Charar-e-Sharief in it. The basic necessity at this time is the connectivity to the shrine. My top priority will be to have good road connectivity to the shrine and provide sufficient power supply to the shrine, so that the pilgrims do not have to suffer during any time of the day. And we will try to complete the pending work of the shrine.

·         If you have to sum up six years of Rahim Rather as MLA in word what will that be?

Unsatisfactory.