Shadow Correspondent
Jammu, May, 19
Though during the lockdown, only essential people and commodities are permitted by the authorities, the list of essential people and commodities must be continuously revised to minimise the adverse impact on people’s lives and the spread of the pandemic. This was stated by former Minister and senior Congress leader Raman Bhalla while continuing distribution of food items among needy families in Gandhi Nagar constituency since the lockdown. In this regard, former Minister on Tuesday distributed ration item in Rajiv Nagar Ward- 7 Mohalla Dogra . Prominent among those who accompanied Bhalla included Block President Jatinder Singh Chib, DCC General Secretary Urban Aman Bawa, DCC General Secretary Urban Jatin Vashisht, Iqbal Singh,Gagan Bral, Master Parsram Lal, Harvinder Kour, Gourav Kumar, Kamala Devi, Kala Ram, Khadam Hussain, Manmohan Singh, Jasbir Singh Jassi, Rohit Choudhary beside others.
Bhalla expressed disappointment and resentment against the Government for ignoring trading community in economic package including mobile, shoe sellers, cloth merchants, hardware, automobiles etc., where in, it came to fore that this community will be landing into great financial crisis on lifting of lockdown as they will have to pay salary, interest, bank loans, taxes, electricity bills and various other financial obligations”, Bhalla said. Even the relief measures offered to MSMEs by the government do not help trade as traders are not covered under the MSME sector, he said. He said traders need working capital in their hands to retain employment as lack of support will result in closure of business.There are already severe job losses across different sectors in J&K and if the corona virus impact continues for few more months then the situation may turn from bad to worse and may take on an average at least four to six months for different businesses to recover from the impact.He said that that the COVID-19 affect is such that it can lead to severe to very severe impact on the travel and tourism sector in India with thousands of jobs being axed.He further remarked that the consumer, retail and services will face the brunt of the Covid-19 affect in a big way and the sector is set to lose at least 100,000 jobs.
Bhalla further said that India’s informal sector, on the other hand, is the worst hit by COVID-19 and the subsequent extended lockdown. Thousands of migrant workers who used to send home huge remittances have returned to their respective villages, while others are still locked in cities with no source of income and dried up savings. The daily wagers, street vendors, construction workers, labourers have no means to obtain a square meal for themselves and their families, which also leaves them most vulnerable to the disease.While we can’t reach out to the needy directly, contributing to their wellness might help the country battle this deadly virus together.Different religious and social organizations besides political parties are working on different aspects of the crisis. From supporting healthcare workers to providing for daily wage earners, senior citizens and children, they are serving India and its people in the best possible ways.As India intensify its fight against COVID-19, every payment counts. Your contributions will help procure hygiene kits, grocery kits, and protective gear for health workers and people in need. The shortage of personal protective equipment at times puts the lives of India’s healthcare workers at huge risk. Besides ensuring that our medical personnel has adequate PPE’s, the funds raised through this campaign will also help daily wagers and their families with crucial supplies. The COVID-19 pandemic has plunged the world into a great deal of uncertainty. The sudden and strange upheaval has brought our lives to a screeching halt and we all are dealing with it differently. People are worried about their health, jobs, and finances but the real struggle, for most of us, is to deal with the isolation and the mental toll it takes.The small as well as the large businesses across the J&K are confronting extreme economic challenges as result of COVID19 Pandemic”, Bhalla said. He said that hotel Industry which was already on ventilator due to extension of train service from Jammu to Katra, is going to bear the brunt of COVID pandemic and ongoing lockdown for a longer time and even after lifting of lockdown, there is no imminent start up of international, national and local tourism. He further said that tourism fraternity i.e., hoteliers, travel agents, dhabawallas, dealers dealing in shawls and handicrafts, dry fruits, taxis and auto-rickshaws, etc which was already under financial stress has been further hit badly by Coronavirus pandemic and lockdown and its consequences will be worse in upcoming days with more challenges due to zero tourism in future.
Bhalla said that we can’t afford to neglect needy during the coronavirus outbreak, asking Govt to help out those affected the most by the pandemic.He said it was the government’s responsibility to ensure that not a single citizen goes hungry. Government should go to each and every needy person’s house and provide them with ration,” he said. For the time being, the government’s first priority should be to help the weakest sections of society when businesses, large and small, and the middle class are clamouring for mega relief measures, suited to their needs, due to the significant economic impact of Covid-19 pandemic.
Expressing concern over the losses suffered by farming community, J&K Bhalla demanded payment of adequate compensation to the affected farmers besides distribution of seeds of good varieties of Paddy. The farming community has suffered losses due to lockdown, he said adding that Government should release of compensation to the affected farmers. Expressing his serious concern over hardship being faced by the passengers belonging to different parts of the Jammu province who are stranded at Jammu due to lockdown, former Minister appealed administration of the Union Territory (UT) to provide transport facility to these passengers. Amid the ongoing lockdown to prevent the spread of Coronavirus, hundreds of people from Poonch, Rajouri, Reasi, Udhampur, Doda, Kishtwar, Bhaderwah, Ramban and Banihal have been stranded at Jammu.
Former Minister appealed Govt to strengthen health services in both COVID and non-COVID hospitals in the J&K. Health workers should be trained to reduce medical infection. For helping patients e-consultation services should be prioritized in each districts and toll-free numbers should be issued, he said. We have shown solidarity before and it’s time to stay united again. A strong network will not only foster national integration but will go a long way in helping India battle COVID-19 together. As we all practice social distancing in a nationwide lockdown to fight COVID-19, India’s real fighters work tirelessly to keep us safe and protected. Our healthcare professionals battle the pandemic every day at the risk of being most exposed to the virus. India’s security personnel and delivery agents render their services round the clock to keep us safe indoors. The contributions made by media professionals and several other workers amidst the ongoing predicament are also remarkable, added Bhalla.xx
