Kishtwar June 20: Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) on Tuesday staged a massive protest rally in area demanding immediate compensation to victims of earthquakes in chenab valley specially Doda and Kishtwar and sought government intervention in conducting of survey by seismologists to gauge the reasons behind occurrences of continuous tremors in Chenab Valley.
Holding placards, banners, DPAP’s senior leadership, including Vice-President G M Saroori, Naresh Gupta Provincial Vice President, Chief spokesperson Salman Nizami, and other party leaders and workers marched in Doda demanding compensation to earthquake victims and assessment of the damage in twin districts of Doda and Kishtwar. The DPAP leaders and workers also demonstrated against the stopping of free ration distribution to poor, reduction of monthly ration quota to consumers and imposition of property tax were discussed. The demonstrations are part of the series of protests to be held across Jammu and Kashmir against anti-people measures which are impacting common masses, be it price hike, electricity inflated bills, imposition of property tax and ration issue. Addressing the protesters here, Vice-Chairman DPAP G M Saroori lambasted the government for not providing any compensation to recent earthquake victims in Doda or Kishtwar districts. Reminding the present government about October 8, 2005 earthquake which hit Uri and Karnah areas in Kashmir and Rajouri and Poonch in Jammu region, Saroori affirmed that under the able leadership of the then chief minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, his government in 2005-2006 provided relief on timely basis and adopted long term rehabilitation programme for the victims who till this date praise the Chairman DPAP for serving the people of Jammu and Kashmir with honesty and dedication. Demanding urgent government intervention, the chief spokesperson Salman Nizami sought establishment of a committee of seismologists and scientists to undertake immediate scientific study on recurrences of tremors in Chenab Valley.
The DPAP leadership also demanded rollback of all anti-people measures like ration curtailment, imposition of property tax and relief to consumers of electricity who have been charged with no norms in place for rural or hilly populations where there is no electricity but inflated bills are handed over shockingly. The DPAP workers observed that the stoppage of free ration to the poor would lead to starvation of people while the reduction in monthly quota of ration to consumers in rice-consumed J&K is unacceptable. They said that on one hand authorities have failed to control the prices of essential commodities while on the other hand the government is hiking the prices of gas refills and electricity.
It was also observed that imposition of property tax in J&K is unacceptable given the fact people in the past few years have suffered losses due to COVID-19 lockdown.
Among others who participated in the protests include Adv Naresh Gupta Provincial Vice President & Working Committee Member, Chief Spokesperson Salman Nizami, P.R.Manhas Zonal President, Sham Lal Bhagat Provincial General Secretary, Asif Gattu District President Doda, Pritam Kotwal Provincial Secretary, Ramesh Parihar Secretary, Mushtaq Ahmed DDC, Aemna Begum DDC, Om Raj Bahal Gen Secretary Province, Asghar Khanday Zonal Gen Secretary, Iqbal Malik Zonal Secretary and others.