"There is utter neglect and deprivation that the remote and backward areas like Gurez, Tangdhar, and Lolab suffered till 2006. A concerted effort to develop these areas during my tenure as CM was made. However, the same script of neglect is being repeated since 2008," Azad said.
Claiming that the backward areas mentioned above were developed during his tenure as chief minister, Azad said that roads, colleges, hospitals, and schools were constructed during the Congress-led regime, and since then no visible improvement is noticed on the ground.
Azad served as the chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir from 2006 to 2008 before being succeeded by Omar Abdullah, who came to power as the head of a coalition government of National Conference and the Congress.
Appealing the voters to give a decisive mandate to Congress in order to revive the development activities with renewed thrust, Azad said, Congress-led government can ensure continuity and momentum to development in the state.
"The massive challenge of reconstruction and rehabilitation cannot be carried out by mere sloganeering or making hollow promises, rather a concerted and coordinated effort is required to rebuild the lives of the people," he said.
"If development-oriented, clean and transparent governance is what people of flood-ravaged J&K require, people must give chance to Congress party, as its credentials in reconstruction are very well known," the leader said.