New Delhi, 15-12-2022: Former Minister and senior AAP leader, Mr. Harsh Dev Singh submitted a memorandum in PMO, at New Delhi addressed to the Prime Minister alleging exploitation of poor, downtrodden and other marginalized sections in J&K and their total disregard and neglect at the hands of present regime. He expressed his concern over the delay and deny in clearing the work done claims of labourers who remained unpaid for the past several years while the rich and affluent contractors and govt suppliers were being given priority in release of payments for works done claims. He petitioned to Prime Minister to personally intervene for early clearance of liabilities of labour class under MGNREGA and Saubhagya scheme in J&K pending for over 4 years besides immediate payment of compensation to poor farmers whose lands and houses were expropriated and acquired for construction of roads under PMGSY for the last 8-10 years.
The memorandum stated that whereas the govt was making tall claims of initiating welfare measures for eradication of poverty, the poor and marginalized sections of society in J&K were the greatest victims of administrative apathy and a corruption ridden system. Mr. Singh pointed out in the memorandum that farmers in major parts of the UT and particularly in district Udhampur were left high and dry with no compensation having been released for the lands and structures acquired from them during the last 8-10 years. In several cases, he revealed, the compensation had been shown to have been disbursed amongst the land donors without the said amounts having been actually paid to the affected farmers. There were cases where the compensation for dismantled houses had been withdrawn by public functionaries without the same having been actually disbursed to the rightful claimants. There were numerous cases of misappropriation and diversion of funds earmarked for compensation with none to take cognizance of grave irregularities in the functioning of concerned govt deptts thus necessitating the due intervention of the GoI, asserted Mr. Singh.
Mr. Harsh Dev Singh further pointed out the non payment of wages and other dues of labourers, mates and panchayat level workers who had executed the electrification works since 2018 under Saubhagya scheme of rural electrification. He regretted that while payments due to suppliers and big contractors had been made, the poor labourers and other work force engaged by the Power Deptt was made to wait for the list around 4 years thereby triggering massive outrage amongst the affected workers. He said that with J&K govt resorting to delay and deny over the last several years, the PM was expected to take a strong note of the highly apathetic and callous approach of the concerned functionaries of the UT.
Likewise, Mr. Singh revealed that past liability under MGNREGA amounting to several hundred crores for the period of 2016-2019 amounting to several hundred crores had remained unpaid resulting in massive resentment in various panchayats of the UT. And despite the persistent representations and reminders, the govt had failed to act or to give any satisfactory response except giving vague assurances on the subject during the last 4-5 years. He said that he was constrained to knock on the doors of the Prime Minister in pursuit of justice in view of gross neglect of the poor and marginalized sections of society by a highly biased and prejudiced regime in J&K.