Sayeed promises good governance in J&K; appeals people to be patient

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed today appealed the people of the state to be patient with the PDP-BJP coalition government, saying it would take time to put the system back on track.

"The coalition government has just completed two months but some people feel it has been years... The system has to be set right, it cannot happen overnight. It will take time," Sayeed told reporters here.

When asked about the arrest of Hurriyat Conference leader Masarat Alam under BJP pressure, Sayeed said there was no pressure and certain things were "unacceptable".

"(There was) no pressure. It was his (Alam's) deeds. Some things are unacceptable," he said referring to the hoisting of Pakistani flags and chanting of anti-national slogans during a Hurriyat rally last month which led to the arrest of the separatist leader.

Sayeed had on Saturday promised action against those responsible for waving Pakistani flags at the rally addressed by Syed Ali Shah Geelani.

The chief minister was addressing the customary press conference on the reopening of the Civil Secretariat here as part of bi-annual 'Darbar Move' -- the 140-year-old practice under which the state government functions in Jammu for six months of winter and in Srinagar for the remainder of the year.

Referring to the charges leveled by opposition parties Congress and National Conference of failure of his government, Sayeed said, "I do not want to dig into the past. I want to go forward."

"They (Opposition) were there (in power) for nine years. We are here only since two months. Give us some time," he said, adding, his government will provide good governance to the people but "it is a time consuming process".

Sayeed said there were many challenges before the state but his priority was to help flood-affected people to rebuild their homes and reconstruct the infrastructure like roads which were badly affected.

"We are also focusing on revival of tourism in the state so that people associated with this trade earn their livelihood," he said.

Tackling unemployment was also a major focus area of the government, he said.

"We want the youth of the state to be employed but whatever vacancies we have, will be filled up in a transparent manner through a perfect system. You would not have seen such a system anywhere in the country," he said.