NEWS DESK
Thousands have lost job, who are on verge of starvation
Sarinagar March, 17 (PTK) Apni party chief Syed Altaf Bhukhari on Wednesday while expressing serious concern over the shortage of construction material in J&K which has pushed almost 5 lakh people on the verge of starvation urged LG Manoj Sinha to revoke ban order on extraction of minerals.
According to PTK, News Agency, He said that if government fails to revoke the sand extraction contract order within seven days, Apni Party leaders will hit streets along with the stakeholders.
He while addressing a press conference said that it is the prime duty of the Apni Party to rake up the issues linked with the common man.
“Today, we are taking up the burning issue of shortage of construction material including sand and Bajri.
The reason is that under the garb of Supreme Court order has given the contract to outsiders, rather big crocodiles,” Bukhari said, adding that it is irony to see that sand tipper that would normally be sold at Rs 4000 or Rs 6000 to a common man is being sold at Rs 18000, that too illegally.
He said that due to the government order, 5 lakh people associated with construction material are on verge of starvation as they haven’t earned anything in last two years.
Bukhari said the common people are suffering because of this mafia that is taking advantage of the government’s sheer silence and apathetic attitude. “It is highly unfortunate that the J & K government seems to be a mute spectator to this whole situation and on different pretexts the locals associated with this business since decades are being deprived of their inherent rights on J&K’s natural resources,” he added.
He said that the government must frame a comprehensive policy taking in view the Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand models wherein the rights of the locals on their natural resources have been safeguarded and insulated against the impact of e-auctioning process. He demanded that the government must regulate the prices of the raw material needed for construction purposes and ensure its hassle free availability in the markets.
“The shortage of raw materials like sand, bricks, stones, aggregate and gravel have not only caused immense sufferings to the general public but have stalled work on many prestigious developmental projects worth thousands of crores across Jammu and Kashmir,” he added.
Bukhari said the government must go for fresh auction of minor-mineral blocks and sand sections/patches while ensuring adequate participation of local contractors, if at all it is serious in protection of the rights of natives on the natural resources in J&K.
He said that till a concrete policy is chalked out, the government must allow extraction and lifting of raw material including stones, sand and aggregate by local contractors who are already associated with this business. Bukhari said the government needs to enforce easementary rights thereby safeguarding the residents of J&K from being deprived of their inherent rights on their natural resources.
“Since there is a ban on stone quarrying and sand digging activities in both divisions of J&K, the government must address the demands of the stakeholders so that the closed crusher units are made functional. This way the livelihood of lakhs of people including transporters, labourers, construction workers who solely depend on this business can be safeguarded,” he remarked.
“The local quarry owners at Athwajan, Panthachowk, Zewan, Khanmouh, in Srinagar and Kathua, Samba and Akhnoor in Jammu should be allowed to go for extraction and lifting of raw material. Similarly in rural areas, the government must implement its orders by virtue of which Panchayats were formally authorized to permit lifting and extraction of raw material in their respective areas,” Bukhari demanded.
Many senior leaders were present on the occasion which includes Gh Hassan Mir, Mohammad Ashraf Mir, Rafi Ahmad Mir. (PTK)
Comments are closed.