Sajad Lone never met me over people’s issues: Dy CM

Handwara, May 21: Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary on Thursday accused MLA Handwara Sajad Gani Lone of failing to pursue developmental issues concerning Rajwar and other areas of the constituency.
Addressing a public gathering in a village in Handwara, the Deputy Chief Minister, said Sajad Lone had “never met him even for an hour” during the last one and a half years to discuss issues related to roads, development works and public welfare in Handwara.
“In the last one and a half years, the MLA of this constituency never visited my office even for an hour to discuss roads or other issues of Rajwar people,” Choudhary said, adding that instead of following up developmental matters, Lone remained busy making political statements and questioning his position as Deputy Chief Minister.
Launching a sharp political attack, he alleged that people had “mistakenly” elected Sajad Lone as their representative and termed him “incompetent”. The constituency had suffered due to lack of attention from its elected representative.
Referring to political differences, Choudhary said Lone comes from a politically influential family but maintained that he himself hails from a middle-class family and is the son of a soldier.
He said he was proud of his background and asserted that unlike “arrogant politicians”, he would continue to listen to poor people and address their grievances.
He accused Lone of ignoring developmental works during his tenure in government. He referred to a bridge inaugurated at Drugmulla earlier in the day and said the project had remained incomplete for 14 years despite the foundation stone having been laid during the government led by Omar Abdullah. He said the bridge remained pending during subsequent governments when Sajad Lone was a minister.
“After 14 years, this bridge has finally been made functional and thrown open to the public. This is what the Omar-led government has done,” Choudhary said.
He stated that since the formation of the present government, more than six PMGSY road projects from the Handwara constituency had been forwarded to the Centre and five among them had already received sanction. He said work on these projects would begin soon and credited MP Choudhary Mohammad Ramzan for pursuing them vigorously. (KNO)