Shadow Correspondent
Jammu, May, 07
“Having been rendered jobless for the last 2-3 months, the poor labourers are finding it hard to make both ends meet with their families too being forced to starvation. With all their savings having got exhausted during the lockdown period, the poor and the destitute are desperately waiting for relief and assistance from the govt for their survival.
And while the govt is claiming to have initiated measures for helping out the needy and the indigent marginalized desolate masses, the desired assistance did not appear to be reaching out to the affected population”. This was stated by Mr. Harsh Dev Singh Chairman-JKNPP and former Minister. He held a protest dharna at Jammu today in support of the starving workforce of J&K besides auto rickshaws and Rehri Phari wallas seeking monthly relief of Rs. 5000 per family during the currency of corona pandemic.
Addressing the media, Mr. Harsh said that there is a huge mismatch between the tall claims of the govt and the actual delivery on the ground with several reports of hungry labourers and other workers of J&K emaciating not only within but outside the UT also having been stranded there due to lockdown. Similarly other marginalized sections that were dependent upon daily earnings for their survival including auto rickshaw drivers, Rehri and Phari wallas needed to be appropriately compensated by the govt in the present distressing times of corona pandemic out of the funds raised by the govt for meeting corona related exigencies.
He said that not only the private sector had made huge donations in the PM’s Cares Fund but the employees, pensioners and even Ex-servicemen had been made to pay since January 2020 and their DA instalments had been declined purportedly for using the said funds for helping the suffering humanity during the corona contagion.
Urging upon the govt to activate the huge administrative paraphernalia at its command to provide succour to its starving people within and outside J&K, Mr. Singh further called for ensuring adequate supplies of ration and essential commodities in the remote and far flung areas. He pointed out the shortage of civil supplies and other essential items of everyday use in several areas including the blocks of Dudu, Basantgarh, Majalta, Kulwanta, Chenani, Chanunta, besides upper reaches of Ramnagar and Pancheri block. He said there were several reports of black marketing and over charging of ration and other items in the said areas which had failed to elicit the attention of the authorities concerned despite repeated complaints. He called for booking all the hoarders and black marketers of food grains, ration, other essential drugs and items of everyday use under MISA in view of artificial scarcity created by them leading to massive public outrage. He said that non -initiation of action against the offenders could lead to social uprising and aggravate the crisis in such affected areas.
Complimenting the Doctors, Nurses, Paramedical staff, Police, Safai-Karamcharis, media persons and all other frontline corona warriors, Mr. Harsh Dev said that the Nation is indebted to them for their herculean services being rendered by them for the cause of humanity.
