Mehbooba Mufti demands rollback of decision to treat J&K Bank as PSU

Srinagar : Former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti on Saturday demanded a rollback of the Governor-administered dispensation's decision to treat the local J&K Bank as a public sector undertaking.

In its last meeting in winter capital Jammu, the State Administrative Council (SAC) ordered that henceforth the J&K Bank would come under the RTI purview and also be treated as a PSU.

In a statement, Mehbooba Mufti said such decisions smack of attempts to fiddle with the basic characters of the state's special status.

"Assaults on multiple fronts are being launched against Jammu and Kashmir's special status as the Governor's administration is taking away autonomy of institutions that J&K has enjoyed," she said.

"J&K Bank is a part of this game plan, and this was the reason the PDP (her party) came together with NC and Congress to form a government and prevent such interventions", she said.

She said the Governor's rule is not a permanent arrangement and that the administration must concentrate on day-to-day functioning of the state and avoid taking decisions with long-term consequences.

"Such actions raise apprehensions among the people of the state who already feel alienated and angry," she said, adding her decision to try and form government with the National Conference and Congress support was meant to thwart such attempts.

"That attempt (to form government, and subsequent dissolution of the Assembly) was undemocratically foiled by the Governor", she alleged.