Jammu: Congress today organized one day workers convention at Khour in Chhamb constituency which was presided over by senior Congress leader and former deputy chief minister Tara Chand and was attended by scores of Congress workers from the area. Many burning issues were discussed during the day-long convention by the Congress workers and unanimously passed a resolution for restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.
While addressing the workers Former Dy CM Tara Chand urged upon the Central government to restore statehood to Jammu and Kashmir with job and land security for the locals. He said that J&K has witnessed massive destruction during decade’s long turmoil and rising unemployment is a major concern. He urged upon the government to secure jobs of Jammu and Kashmir for local youth.
“The imposition of property tax within municipal limits is no way justifiable and that too at a time when people are passing through worst ever financial crisis, the government must review its decision to impose this tax”, Tara Chand lambasted.
The former DyCM further said that the Lieutenant Governor’s administration must remove all hurdles for free movement at Lakhanpur as is being done by other states and UTs as scores of businessmen, patients and locals are travelling daily and are facing lengthy procedure at the border. He said that with the onset of Navratras the influx of pilgrims too have increased to the holy shrine of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi and keeping in view it is need of the hour to provide hassle free movement at Lakhanpur.
He also demanded special employment package for the youth of Jammu and Kashmir as the corona pandemic has rendered millions jobless and many families are at the verge of starvation. He said that it is the duty of the government to address the unemployment issue immediately.
Former Dy CM Sh Tarachand lambasted previous BJP government in the state for exploiting the daily wagers in various department for not fulfilling their long time pending genuine demands. He said due to callous and non-serious attitude of governments families of daily wagers across the state are facing a starvation-like situation.
Sh Tarachand requested the Hon’ble Governor Sh Manoj Sinha and his administration to look into the matter on urgent basis and fulfill the genuine demands of the agitating daily wagers across the state.
Former Dy CM Sh Tarachand termed Back to Village programme by J&K administration as a futile exercise and accused BJP for weakening grass roots democracy under the garb of the ‘Back to Village’ programme and using bureaucracy to fulfill their political motives as their own workers and ministers have failed miserably to fulfill the promises made to the general masses.
While commenting on the developmental scenario Tara Chand said that despite protests by locals the administration has failed to improve Jourian-Khour-Pallanwala road which is languishing since years and the locals are facing many hardships. He urged upon the Border Road Organisation (BRO) to maintain this road at priority. Moreover, he also demanded immediate repair of all the internal roads of Chhamb constituency which are in dilapidated condition.
In the last Tara Chand said that the Prime Minister has promised to initiate political dialogue in J&K and for this he urged the government to restore security cover of all leaders of mainstream political parties according to the areas and other threat perceptions so that they can move freely from one place to other.
Those who were present include Suram Singh, Prem Singh, Jagatar Singh, Jagdish Raj Sharma, Madan Lal Sharma, Gautam Sharma, Daljeet Singh, Balbir Singh, Dwarika Nath, Ramesh Verma, Prabhu Singh, Suraj Prakash, Harnam Dass, Pt Ram Swaroop, Ram Nath Bhagat, Vijay Chib, Om prakash Sharma, Ved Prakash Sharma, retired DSP, Chunni Lal Sharma, all sarpanches, panches, members of PCCI, office bearers of District Congress Committee Rural Jammu, Block Office bearers Khour, Khara-Balli, Samwan and Pargwal and Members Municipal Committee Khour.(KNS)
