KASHMIR NEWS TRUST #KNT
Democratic Progressive Azad Party on Monday protested in Jammu and submitted the memorandum of demands to the Divisional Commissioner Jammu seeking his immediate intervention to address the growing public concerns over the curtailment of ration, price rise, rising electricity bills, CUET exams, and outsourcing of local minerals to outsiders.
The protesters said that the people of Jammu and Kashmir have been pushed to the wall. While on one side unemployment is on rise, on the other side there is a steep rise in the prices of essential commodities. It is hurting the economic prospectus of common people,” said R.S Chib General Secretary DPAP.
“As if it was not enough, the government has also curtailed the scale of ration to the APL category people which has impacted them adversely and forced them to buy rice in open market at exorbitant rates,” he added.
The DPAP workers later marched towards the Divisional Commissioner’s office where they submitted the memorandum for demands. They demanded immediate roll back of all the policies of the government which allows outsourcing of resources.“ No resources shall be outsourced at the cost of local people. The people of Jammu and Kashmir have the first right over its resources, these resources have not been only building our economy but were fetching employment to thousands of people,” G.M.Saroori said.
The protesters also asked to exempt the people from electricity charges who have meager incomes. Due to the mismanagement of the National Testing Agency in conducting CUET exams for admission in Graduate and post-graduate courses in Jammu and Kashmir, we demand that for this year CUET should not be made applicable for students of J&K and request to allow the students to take admissions in different colleges and Universities of J&K on the previous pattern.
Jugal Kishore Sharma said, “The policy of installing digital meters is a good step but treating all in the same line irrespective of financial gaps is gross human rights violations. So we urge those who have less or meager income to feed families must be exempted and provided free electricity,”. The economic condition of the people of J&K has gone from worse to worst, people are already under the burden of bank loans, unemployment is at its peak, people are in hand to mouth situation and under these circumstances imposition of property tax is an arbitrary decision, such a decision otherwise has to be taken by an elected Government and moreover such taxes are to be passed by general council of Municipal bodies. We strongly oppose the decision of imposition of property tax and request for its immediate roll back, also old age pension must be given and Kerosine oil and sugar should be introduced again said G.M.Saroori Vice Chairman. [KNT]
