SRINAGAR: The ruling J&K coalition alliance partners the National Conference and the Congress, who are contesting the State Assembly elections against each other, have implemented only a handful of promises made by them in their 2008 election manifestos.
The two parties, who had contested the 2008 Assembly elections separately before forging a post-poll alliance to form the coalition government, had made innumerable promises in their respective poll manifestos.
The biggest achievement of the outgoing government was to hold Panchayat elections in the state after 32 years. Both the parties, in their poll manifestos in 2008, had promised to make the Panchayat system functional once again.
However, the Congress could not fulfil its promise of implementing the 73rd Amendment of the Constitution on the Panchayat Raj Act in the state as the NC opposed the amendment.
The setting up of 659 new administrative units early this year was another major achievement of the government, which the Congress had promised in its manifesto. The party had promised to set up new tehsils and sub divisions in the state.
The implementation of the Sixth Pay Commission recommendations in the state was also promised by both the parties in their poll manifestos in 2008.
The state government not only implemented the Sixth Pay Commission recommendations, but also increased the retirement age of its employees from 58 to 60 early this year.
Both parties had also promised to regularise daily wagers, casual labourers and adhoc employees. This promise was fulfilled by both the parties as the coalition government regularised thousands of daily wagers.
The NC-Congress Government also implemented the RTI Act in the state.
The government formed the SVO in 2011 to inquire or cause inquiries to be conducted into offences alleged to have been committed under the Prevention of Corruption Act by public servants, Corporations established in the State or under any Act of the Parliament or an Act of State Legislature , Government Companies, societies and local authorities owned or controlled by the Government and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.
The Congress had also promised to set up a transmission line from Srinagar to Leh for connecting Ladakh region with Northern Grid. PM Modi laid the foundation stone for Srinagar-Leh transmission line on August 12 after BJP was elected to power in the general polls held earlier this year. Surprisingly none from Congress attended the event.