Hakeem concerned over allotment of sand extraction contracts to non locals

Srinagar: Chairman People’s Democratic Front (PDF ) Hakeem Mohammad Yaseen Friday expressed serious concern over the reports that sand extraction blocks along the river Jehlum and its tributaries that used to be given to locals against a royalty to the government, have been given to non locals. He said this step was bound to render thousands of people of the kashmir valley ,associated with sand digging job , completely jobless.
In a statement issued on Friday, Hakeem said that reports about allotment of sand digging contracts along river Jehlum to non – locals were a cause of serious concern as this process would badly hit livelihood of thousands of local contractors and their families, associated with the job. He said that reports have come to fore that for the first time,since December last year , contracts for mineral blocks in every district of J&K have been allotted to non local contractors. He has urged the authorities to keep all sand digging works along river Jehlum exclusively reserved for the local contractors and has demanded to cancel all such allotments made in this regard this year so far. Hakeem ridiculed the authorities for playing with the livelihood of local people during the Covid pandemic. ” It doesn’t behave good for the government to play with the sentiments of the people during the Covid-19 pandemic, when every person in the state are struggling for their survival. ” It was most inhuman to usurp means of livelihood of the local people on on different pretexts,” Hakeem added.
He said people of Jammu and Kashmir are scared to see deliberate attempts to usurp thier employment rights by opening recruitment process to outsiders alongside determined attempts to change the demographic identity of Jammu and kashmir. He said people are also worried to learn about deliberate attempts to exploite its natural resources and rendering local people jobless. Hakeem has urged the Central government to desist from playing with the sentiments of the people of jammu and kashmir and try to win their hearts and minds.