With all sections of the society having been economically hit due to the Corona pandemic, the govt needed to show compassion and provide special succour particularly to the financially distressed poor and marginalized sections of the society. The labourers, the farmers, the small traders, the self employed, taxi transport and auto operators, the Rehri and Phari owners have been worst affected due to lengthy lockdown and no source of earnings during the last more than two months. With the poor sections having exhausted all their savings, they are finding it hard to make both ends meet while at the same time having to pay various kinds of cesses and tariffs”. This was stated by Mr. Harsh Dev Singh, Chairman-JKNPP & former Minister. Urging upon the Lt. Governor Girish Chandra Murmu to waive off power tariff and water usage charges of J&K residents for three months, Mr. Singh said that such generous approach of the govt would only go inline with the pious obligations of a truly people friendly govt in a welfare state.
Seeking further the personal indulgence of the Lt. Governor towards the scarcity of essential commodities including food-grains in remote and far flung areas, Mr. Singh regretted that several unscrupulous traders had resorted to undue profiteering at the cost of poor people. “The articles of day to day use were being sold at exorbitant rates by these reckless elements by taking undue advantage of the prevailing crisis. Free ration facility was also not being made available to all with several complaints pouring in day in and day out. Several ration dealers were defying the distribution of ration under the pretext of social distancing which necessitated provision of additional ration depots in uncovered villages. The payments to MGNERGA workers were also pending for months together with liabilities burgeoning with each passing day resulting in untold hardships to the poor labour class. The govt needed to give priority attention to the poor and marginalized sections who were finding it difficult to sustain themselves and their families” said Singh.
Expressing concern over the pathetic plight of the labourers kept in quarantine centers across the UT, Mr. Singh called for expeditious conduct of their medical tests. With hundreds of returnees hurled up in small complexes without proper food and other facilities, the risk of pandemic loomed large over their heads, asserted the NPP Chairman.